Maximum Ride: I'm such an idiot
by Ravenwing2000
Summary: Set about halfway through book 2 when the flock are staying at Anne's. Max goes to a park for some peace for a bit, but accidentally falls asleep, and wakes to Fang calling her on her mobile telling her to come back, just as Ari appears to take her to the school, shooting Max. Sorry I'm really bad at summarys, but this is my first ever fan fiction so please review.-Fly on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first ever fan fiction, I hope you like it, and I would really appreciate it if you guys would review, all comments welcomed.**

**Oh and by the way this takes place in book 2 when the flock are staying at Anne's house.**

**Disclamer, I don't own MR, but I wish I did.**

**Onwards!**

I pulled on my purple headphones, skimming through my ipod until I found a song I wanted to listen to.

I kicked leaves as I walked through a park, past people walking their dogs and couples holding hands.

The flock were all back at Anne's house, or at least I assumed they were.

I just needed a break, everything had been getting to me lately, like Lissa forcing herself upon Fang, how I had a little feeling Ari was going to make reappearance very soon, the feeling I just couldn't quite trust Anne, but everyone else trusted her, and then there is the voice and headaches that come with it.

I really needed to sort out some issues here.

I looked up and realized I was now alone, and surrounded by trees.

Pushing back my headphones so that they were hanging round my neck, I prepared to climb the biggest tree around. Since nobody was around, I could just fly up there, but I felt like some physical activity.

Just as I heaved myself up onto a big branch very near the tree, I realised two things.

1: I had been out here ages and the sun was setting now.

2: This tree is perfect to sleep in.

There are loads of branches to lie across, and I couldn't be seen from the ground due to the thick layer of leaves below me.

I settled down onto a big branch and just chilled. For the first time in ages, I was relaxing. For some reason I felt safe and calm in this tree.

My eyes started to drift closed, but I attempted to stay awake.

_I'll fly back soon. Ten minutes_. I told myself. I was about two hours away from Anne's house, but If I went into hyper speed I could be there in about an hour.

I was woken so abruptly, I almost fell off my branch, grabbing on at the last minute. I groaned as I pulled myself back, blinking sleep from my eyes. I pulled my brand new phone out of my pocket, courtesy of Anne, and saw I had a text from Fang.

_Oh god_ I though as I saw the time, it was almost one in the morning. Fang was gonna kill me.

_**Where the hell r u!?-F**_

_**Out-M**_

_**But where?-F**_

_**I genuinely don't know-M**_

That was actually true. I had flown in a random direction, and I only stopped because I thought this park looked nice and calm.

_**How far away r u?-F**_

_**Bout two hours, maybe two and a half unless I fly back hyper speed.-M**_

_**How long if u fly hyper speed?-F**_

_**Bout an hour, hour and a half, depends.-M**_

_**R u comin back?-F**_

_**Depends-M**_

_**On what?-F**_

_**On whether I decide to stay here longer.-M**_

_**Max. The flock need u, I don't think you realise, Anne had physically stop them from coming after u.-F**_

_**I'm comin back, just maybe not after a couple days.-F**_

My phone started ringing. I cringed, not really wanting to have to go back to Anne's house 'cause that would mean back to school and I just…. Needed to be alone for awhile.

I decided to answer, and just let Fang say whatever he wanted to say, then just do the opposite.

"Yo."

"Max, what the hell do you think you're doing."

"Uh…..meditating."

"Do you realise just how easily the erasers could get you now. Your all alone, at night, far away from us with no way of defending yourself or anything!"

"Well, there are my kick ass fighting skills."

"Max! I'm being serious-"

"So am I."

"No your not."

"Well…..damn, you figured me out."

"Just come back."

"I will, just maybe not right now."

"Why did you go?!"

"Just need a little space to clear my mind, but I'll be fine." **A/N: What song is that quote from?**

I jumped down from my tree, forgetting how high up I was. I landed roughly, and fell over with an _oof_

"What was that noise?"

"Uh, nothing, I just jumped down from a very high tree." I winced as I stood up, rubbing my right shoulder, which I landed on.

"Are you coming back then."

"Maybe I just-" I quickly fell silent when the back of my neck prickled.

**Step to the left, quickly Max!** The voice suddenly popped up in my head.

I obeyed without question, just as a shot rang out, hitting my right shoulder.

I fell to the ground with a cry.

"Max? What the hell was that? Are you ok?"

I pulled myself up quickly and turned round to see Ari standing behind me, his gun aimed at my head with a cocky smile on his face.

"Ari?" I breathed, breathless from the fiery pain in my shoulder.

"What! Max, is Ari there?"

Ari's smile got bigger, so I assumed he heard.

"Hi Fang! Me and Max are just having a nice chat, aren't we, Max?"

I shot him the bird, and he strode up to me.

"Do something like that again Max. I dare you."

"What are you gonna do, kill me? No, you wouldn't do that." I snarled, baring my teeth at Ari as he loomed over me.

"No. I wouldn't kill you, you're right about that."

"What are you gonna do then?"

"Don't bait him Max!" Fang's voice came through my phone.

Ari smiled widely at me. "Fang's right. You shouldn't bait me."

With that he put a big hand on my wounded shoulder, squeezing as hard as he could.

As I screamed in pain, all that was going through my head was: _I'm such an idiot._

**So that was the first chapter, I will update every day if I get enough reviews, so please please review. Also, I'll be putting at least one random quote from a song into each chapter.**

**Fly on-Ravenwing2000**


	2. Chapter 2 Thanks SO much for reviewing!

**Hey guys. I am so so so so so sorry that I took so long to update, it's just that I had loads of homework and tests I had to revise for and other school stuff. Sorry!**

**I would like to say a HUGE thank you to those of you who reviewed, you really made my day. I didn't actually think I'd get any reviews, so to get more then 1 is unbelievable for me!**

**Onwards with the story!**

I gritted my teeth and quickly kneed Ari as hard as I could. He fell over, dropping his gun which skidded a bit away from him. I _really _needed that gun. It could be the difference between me living or dying. I stumbled over Ari, but He kicked my shin, making me tumble down next to him.

I started wriggling towards the gun, extending my arm as far as I could. Ari grabbed my ankle and tried yanking me back, but I kicked and trashed until he couldn't hold me leg anymore. He started to try and get up, but I kicked him in the stomach, making him fall backwards, away from me and his gun.

I tried picking myself up and I stumbled in a half crouching position to the where Ari's gun was lying on the grass.

Just as my fingers brushed the barrel, I felt something grab hold of the back of my shirt, hauling me up.

I made a strangled noise as Ari lifted me off my feet and into the air. He turned me to face him.

He had a cocky smile on his face as I thrashed and wriggled, but I couldn't get out of his grip.

"Aww. You always try so hard, Max. Try so hard, but never succeed. You always fail."

"Me? Fail? Forget about the time I broke your neck, dog breath?" I snarled back at him.

His face darkened, and he lifted his leg and kneed my in the stomach.

I made a very quiet noise, trying not to show any signs of being in pain (which I was. Majorly.) My wounded shoulder throbbed and every time I moved my right arm or wing it sent waves of agony in my shoulder.

"Max? Max!"

I heard a very faint voice. It was so faint, I could have easily have imagined it.

I heard it again. Great? So now I was hearing another voice? But then Ari cocked his head, and I realised he heard it too.

Suddenly I remembered that Fang had probably just heard that whole thing. I looked at the ground, squinting so I could see better, and I could just see the faint outline of my phone on the ground where I had dropped it when Ari grabbed me.

Suddenly, I realised while Ari was distracted was the best time to escape. I started violently thrashing, and he let me go, clearly not expecting it. I hit the ground with an _oof _and instantly rolled away from where Ari could kick me while I was down and stood up shakily.

Ari growled in rage, and started to morph. It was a horrifying sight, watching a regular human mouth elongate into a hairy muzzle, fingernails grow into sharp claws, and all the other terrible things that happened when and eraser morphed.

It was disturbing, but also impossible to look away. The process only lasted about ten second, but it looked painful, and obviously was by the noise Ari made.

I then realised that maybe I should have lunged for the gun while Ari was morphing, and dove to it. I grabbed it and triumphantly stood up, swinging round to face Ari.

My shoulder screamed in agony as the heavy gun pulled me down. I had to use so much strength to hold it up, I wondered how Ari did it. But my shoulder injury did weaken me quite a lot.

I struggled to lift it how I was supposed to, at shoulder level, then I planted my feet shoulder width apart. Yeah I know how to use a gun, get me.

Ari's morphed face twisted into one of insane rage as I quickly shot him in the shoulder, as he'd done to me. He staggered back a bit, but didn't fall. Then he howled and charged at me.

I fired a few more times, staggering back. He apparently doesn't really mind bullet wounds.

He barrelled into me, slamming me into the ground. I skidded back a few feet with Ari on top of me.

He yanked the gun out of my hand and hit me over the head with it.

My vision went completely black, and I couldn't see.

I freaked out and bucked violently, throwing Ari off me.

I staggered upright and sprinted to where my phone was on the ground.

I lifted it to my ear as Ari fired more shots at me, but I managed to just dodge them.

"Yo." I breathed to Fang, still sprinting.

"Max! What happened, are you ok? Where are you? Quickly!"

I extended my wings as I ran, causing my wounded shoulder to explode in pain. My right wing was covered in blood.

"Uhhh I don't know where I am. I'm fine." I forced out.

I quickly peeked over my shoulder to see Ari gaining on me still aiming his gun at me.

One of his bullets grazed the edge of my outstretched wings and I pulled them in sharply.

"Max! I need you to find out where the hell you are so I can help you!"

"_Little_ busy here Fang!" I shouted into my phone, just as a bullet went so close to my head it actually moved a chunk of my hair, causing me to yell a bunch of swear words as loud as I could. No need for details.

"What!" Fang yelled back at me.

"Nothing!" I needed to get in the air. Even with my shoulder, in the air I stood a fighting chance against Ari with his patchwork wings.

"I need to get into the air." I mumbled.

"What?" Fang said.

"I need to get in the air!" I yelled back, still dodging bullets as I ran through the park.

"Why can't you just fly normally?" Fang said back at me.

"My shoulder- It doesn't matter. I just need to be off the ground."

Another bullet missed me by a hair's breadth.

"I'll get you soon, freak!" Ari yelled.

"You wish!" I practically screamed back. Not the best comeback ever, but I was under pressure.

This isn't going to work! I thought to myself.

"What?" Fang said

"what?"

"You said something."

"I did?"

"Yeah…"

Did I say that out loud? Oh well.

I unfurled my wings once again, trying to ignore the pain and jumped onto one of the benches in the park. I then jumped off the bench and started flapping like crazy.

I dropped alarmingly close to the ground, so close that I scraped my knee, but I managed to stay up.

"Yes!" I shouted.

I was shakily flying away from Ari. I tried to block out the pain in my shoulder as I peeked behind me to see Ari unfurling his own wings.

"Fang!" I yelled. "Fly roughly south from Anne's house. I think that's where I went! I'm heading north at the moment so we should meet in the middle."

"Okay!" was Fang's answer.

I looked behind me again as I attempted to get into hyper speed, and saw Ari shouting into a phone.

He was calling for backup.

**So yeah. That was chapter 2. I'm so sorry for uploading it so late, and just want to thank those of you who reviewed again. You really brightened up my day and made my world!**

**I'll try to upload one tomorrow, but knowing me, procrastinator alert, it might be later than that.**

**So…. Please review? **

**Fly on- Raven**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey!**

**Not quite sure what to say…..**

**Onwards!**

Damn! If Ari called for backup I was absolutely screwed!

I desperately tried to get into super speed, but my wounded shoulder was _really _holding me back.

I was still going a bit faster than Ari though, so I managed to just stay ahead.

I looked behind me to check where Ari was to see him aiming his gun at my head. I quickly stopped flapping and dropped just as a bullet sliced through the air where my head had been about three seconds ago.

I tried to move around as much as I could, despite my wounded shoulder, but that wasn't that much.

I didn't know what to do.

_Got any ideas voice? I could REALLY use your help here._

Nothing. Typical.

"Fang." I barked into my phone.

"What! I'm coming as fast as I can!"

"If something happens to me-"

"Max! Don't-"

"If something happens to me" I repeated extra loudly so that Fang couldn't talk over me again. "Take the flock to Dr Martinez's house."

"Who's house?"

"Oh, that woman who took care of me when I was shot for the first time. The one who discovered my chip."

"Where though?"

"You know Lake Mead? The place where we flew with the hawks."

"Obviously."

"About a mile south. A house on its own, with a tree on the right side of the garden with a bright yellow swing hanging from it."

"Ok but-"

"Fang" I snapped. "I have to land, I can't fly any more. Ari just called for backup, so I'm officially screwed."

"Max. We'll get out of this. I promise."

I had been unintentionally and gradually falling down towards the ground, and My shoulder was killing me. I gritted my teeth and blinked tears out of my eyes. I will not cry. I will not cry.

I landed very roughly on some street, crashing into some bins. I quickly pulled my wings in and looked around to see where Ari was.

He was gone. He wasn't behind me, above me, to my right or left or in front of me.

Even with my raptor vision, I couldn't see him.

I hesitantly started jogging down the street, not knowing whether I was running towards or away from Ari.

After about 20 seconds of running, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I scanned the street in front of me, then looked around and scanned behind me. Nothing!

I turned back around and slammed into Ari.

He grabbed me by the shoulders (OUCH) and laughed.

"You thought you could run. Stupid, stupid girl. Thought you were clever, with your witty comments and your sarcasm. But in the end what are you? Just a freak. A freak that's about to go to school."

The word school sent chills down my back. Pure, undiluted horror trickled through my mind.

"No." A whisper came through my phone. Fang had obviously heard. I was frozen, unable to move.

Erasers started piling onto the road Ari and I were on, appearing from what seemed to be nowhere.

The sight of what at first seemed like hundreds of erasers seemed to snap me out of my trance. I kicked Ari and twisted from his grasp. I turned to see more erasers behind me. I was surrounded.

"Fang. I'm surrounded."

"No Max, just hold on I'm coming-"

"You'll never make it. I'm sorry I caused this. Tell everyone that I love them. Tell them I'm sorry. They'll take me to the school. You're in charge now Fang. I love you Fang."

"I love you too Max." His voice sounded strangled, like he was holding in tears.

"Stay strong. I'll pull through. I'll escape. Tell Dr Martinez everything, you can fully trust her."

"Max. I'll get you out. I promise."

"Don't you dare risk your life for me Fang. I love you Fang. Be strong."

My throat closed as sobs threatened to wrack my body.

"Tell everyone I love them so much."

The erasers had been standing still this whole time, and they started coming towards me.

"No." I heard Ari shout. The erasers paused. "Let her say goodbye."

I looked at him in confusion and carried on talking.

"Tell Angel to learn what's right and wrong. Tell her not to grow up too fast and to enjoy her childhood. Tell Gazzy to be careful with the bombs. Tell him to stay silly. It's fine to be silly. Tell Nudge-" My throat closed.

"Max-"

"Tell Nudge that it's okay to talk. Tell her to be strong, and to be happy she has wings. Let her know it's a blessing, not a handicap. Tell Iggy." I sobbed. "Tell Iggy to be careful with what he blows up. Tell him to keep Gazzy in line, he's the best at it. Tell him that even though he's blind, he's probably the best fighter."

I sobbed a couple more times.

"I love you Fang. Be strong. Maybe try talk a little more. You know all the little guys love you. I'll get out Fang. I promise I'll get out. I'll see you again, I swear."

"I love you Max. I love you so much. I'll get you out."

"Don't-"

"I'll get you out Max. I will. I love you."

"Ok. That's enough. Knock her out." Ari yelled.

Fang made a noise. He's probably heard it too.

"Love you." He said. I could tell he was crying.

"Love you too." My voice was so soft it was barely a whisper. I hung up just as I heard a shot fire and everything went black.

**Dun Dun Dun.**

**What have I done? I'll try make it up to you guys by updating tomorrow night.**

**Please review!**

**Fly on- Raven**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys.**

**Thanks so much for your reviews, I really appreciate them!**

**Onwards!**

I opened my eyes to searing white lights.

My shoulder throbbed with agonising pain as I dragged myself into a sitting position. My head hit the top bars of my cage and I winced.

I looked through the bars of my cage into the cage next to me and saw a horribly disfigured….. is that a kid? I shuddered and quickly looked away, trying to get the image out of my mind.

I drew my knees up to my chin and rested my head on them, withdrawing deep into myself.

I closed my eyes, sinking deep into the pits of despair.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway, stopping outside my cage. I looked up to see a man crouching beside my cage. He had wire- framed glasses and freckles. He unhooked the latch on my cage as more footsteps echoed down the hallway towards me along with the sound of what sounded like a gurney being wheeled in my direction too.

"Come on, get out." He said. His voice was completely flat and emotionless, devoid of all emotion.

"No." My voice sounded a hell of a lot stronger then I felt.

"Come on." His voice held a tiny trace of annoyance this time.

I spat on his outstretched hand.

He snarled and grabbed my arm, yanking me out of my cage.

White hot pain lanced through my shoulder as the wound was pulled.

I yelled out in pain and black spots clouded my vision.

I was slammed onto a metal table on my back, and I felt myself being strapped down.

I felt myself being wheeled down hallways and my vision cleared, so I could only see the white ceiling rushing past me. The hospital disinfectant smell started to really get to me and I started thrashing around.

I was going to get out of here. I was.

The table/ stretcher I was on stopped. I continued to thrash around, and managed to break one of the straps over my leg.

"It's broken one of the straps!" I heard a shout and suddenly I was being pinned down by multiple people. I kicked out with my one free leg, and felt my foot come in contact with something and heard an _oof. _

"Give me that syringe!" I heard a yell and suddenly felt a syringe being plunged into my arm.

My arms and legs started to get really heavy, and I found it harder and harder to move.

All my limbs started to go numb and all of a sudden were impossible to lift. It took every ounce of my strength to lift my head just an inch off the table.

I was still completely aware though, so they hadn't put me to sleep.

"This is subject 6, the oldest of the avian-human experiment."

"This is actually the real subject 6?"

"Yes."

"How intelligent is it?"

It. They're calling me it.

"I've got a name you know." I spit out. I can't move my limbs, but I can still talk.

"It gave itself a name?" He said. Ignoring me.

"Yes, I gave myself a name. And I am not an 'it'"

They're still ignoring me.

"Do we have any records on what they named themselves?"

"No, I don't believe we do." Another voice answers.

"What have you named yourself?" A voice addresses me sharply. I open my eyes to see the same whitecoat who yanked me out of my cage glaring at me.

"Why the hell should I tell you?" I say, just to annoy them.

"So that I don't make your experience here so much worse."

"It can't get worse."

"That's it!" I heard a voice shout.

Then everything went black.

Fang's POV.

I can't believe I let Max get taken. I need to get her out as soon as I possibly can, but I can't put the rest of the flock in danger like that. So I'll do what she told me to.

I need to get the flock to that 'Dr Martinez' that Max told me about, the one who apparently helped her when she was shot.

Max said we can trust her.

I have no clue how I'm going to tell the flock Max got taken. It's my fault as well.

I fly in through my bedroom window, which I left open when I went to go help Max.

I quietly go into the bedroom of each member of the flock, waking them and telling them to come into my room.

I sit on my bed as they all filter in. Since I'm in charge now, until I get Max back, I have to try and talk more, for the flocks sake. I have to be more like Max.

"What is it?" Gazzy asks sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Where's Max?" Angel said, coming into the room. I quickly try to put up blocks in my mind, but I wasn't quick enough.

Her eyes water and she looks like she's trying not to cry.

"Is it true Fang?" She whimpers. I nod and she runs up to me, hugging me as hard as she can. Angels tall for her age, but her head just about reaches my stomach. I hug her back gently.

"Is what true? What the hell is going on, Fang?" Iggy says irritably.

I sigh. "Max has been taken back to the school."

Maybe I shouldn't have been that blunt.

"What?" Iggy gasps.

Tears instantly fill Nudge's eyes and she starts crying.

"Max went out earlier. For a fly. She fell asleep in some park, and by midnight I was worried, so I called her on her mobile, waking her up. She was going to come back, then Ari was there and…"

I looked up at the flock.

"He's taken her to the school. But she had enough time to say things she wanted me to tell you guys.

She also said we have to go to the woman who helped her when she was shot. We're going to stay there for a while, then figure out what to do."

I knew exactly what I was going to do.

"Come on guys, lets go." I said, moving towards the window.

This is probably the most I've ever talked.

Except to Max.

"But, we like don't have any stuff or food or anything. How long is the journey to the woman's house? When are we going to get Max? Is she okay-" Iggy's hand slapped over Nudge's mouth.

I silently walked out of my room, the rest of the flock following.

I trudged into Max's room. The sight of her clothes on the floor made me miss her even more then I already did. The room smelled of her also. Not bad, just Max's natural smell.

I went over to her bed and dropped to her knees, peering under.

_There it is._ I reached under her bed, pulling out two rucksacks.

They were filled with food and other things we needed.

I always wore the rucksack, and Max always wore the Knapsack, which was black with one stripe of multicolour going through the middle.

I pulled on Max's knapsack, and tossed my rucksack to Iggy, who caught it and put it on without a word.

"Lets go, it's not too far." I said, opening the window and helping Angel out.

**I was thinking about ending it here, but then I decided to be a good person and give you guys a very long chapter because of the reviews I got for the last one! **

**Also I'm very, very bored.**

(Still Fang's POV)

I jumped out of the window and extended my midnight black wings, wings so similar to Max's. **Quick A/N: Max's wings are a different colour in this story. Problem?**

I realised that there was no need to upset the flock with Max's messages, because I was going to get her back.

We landed at what I thought was the right house at about eight (in the morning). I pulled in my wings and looked over my shoulder to see the rest of the flock landing and pulling in their wings.

I rang the doorbell and shifted nervously. I hoped this was the right house.

A woman opens the door. "Hello?" She says softly, looking at me.

"I, uh…." _Oh god what do I say? What if it's the wrong woman? I can't give too much away if it's not the right person!_

"Did you recently help out a girl who was shot, a girl named Max?"

"Uh…. Yes, I did."

"Well, we're, uh, _like _her." I stutter. This could be a _grave _mistake.

Her face suddenly took on an expression of understanding.

"Oh, of course, come in come in!" She tried to usher us in, but I hesitated, along with the rest of the flock.

_Is she trustworthy?_ I quickly though in Angel's direction. I had to be sure.

_Yeah, she's good. _Angel sent back.

I stepped into her house, with the flock behind me. She led us down a hallway and into what looked like a kitchen.

"So what's wrong? Is Max okay?" Worry filled her eyes at the mention of Max.

She really cares.

"How much did Max tell you about her past?" I asked.

"Nothing."

I quickly explained everything she needed to know.

"Oh gosh….. that's absolutely terrible! You can stay here as long as you want! Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Can we just sleep here for a bit, I think we all need to crash." I asked. I needed sleep. I needed to be ready to go get Max.

I woke up in the middle of the night. I looked over to the clock beside the bed and it said it was one thirty in the morning. I wonder how Max is doing.

Dr Martinez's house only had 3 bedrooms, so the girls were sharing a room with Ella, her daughter, and Iggy and Gazzy were in the guest room. I was sleeping on the sofa downstairs.

I wrote a quick note to the flock explaining I had gone to get Max and under no circumstances should they get me. I made up some lie about knowing a way in, but you can only get one person in at a time. I said I'd be back with Max in a couple days at most. If I wasn't, Iggy would know what to do.

I pulled on Max's rucksack and silently went to the front door. I unlocked it.

I was going to get Max if it killed me. If I couldn't get her, I would trade my life for hers.

I was about to open the door when I heard s soft voice behind me.

"What the hell do you think your doing, Fang."

**So yeah. That was my next chapter. I'll probably actually upload another short chapter tonight, I'm really in the mood for writing tonight. **

**Please, please review! I really really appreciate reviews, and all criticism is welcome, so if any of you have any tips or anything so I can improve my writing I would be happy to hear them.**

**Fly on- Raven.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys I don't like it when writers pressure people into reviewing, so I'm not going to threaten you or anything, but please please please review.**

**Onwards!**

Max POV.

I opened my eyes slowly. I was in pain everywhere, my shoulder hurting the worst.

I lay crumpled in my cage for a few seconds, gathering the courage to face the day. I took a few deep breaths.

_Pain is just a message._

_Pain is just a message._

_Pain is just a message._

I dragged myself up, propping myself up on the wall, every nerve in my shoulder screaming in pure agony. The thing that had been in the cage next to me was gone. It had been replaced by what looked like a young boy. He looked relatively normal, with scruffy blonde hair which was absolutely filthy.

Then I noticed his hands.

One of his hands was like a single metal claw, and the other was a paw. A paw. He turned to face me. He looked to be around Gazzy's age, and my heart went out to him. He scooted closer to the bars separating our cages.

"Are…. Are they doing stuff to you too?" He said so softly I barley heard it.

I nodded.

"Can you help me? They took me away from mummy." His big green eyes gazed hopefully into mine.

"I'll get you out, kid. I swear." I whispered back, worrying about being overheard.

A whitecoat walked up to his cage, opening the latch. The little boy edged towards me.

The whitecoat was obviously already in a bad mood. He grabbed the boy's arm and hualed him out of his cage.

The boy started crying and trying to come in my direction. As he was dragged away we made eye contact and I mouthed. "I'll get you out, be strong." I think he got the message, because he quietened down a little.

I felt insane rage build up inside me. How dare these losers take kids like him, and torture him "in the name of science". I t was disgusting! How dare they! What the hell gives them the right to experiment on innocent children. I remembered when I was last here, when we were trying to get Angel out. Fang withdrawing into himself, Nudge crying, Angel trying to smile, half her face discoloured by a bruise.

I got more and more angry until I just couldn't contain it anymore.

I lifted my fist and punched the wall, when the palm of my hand caught fire.

I felt no pain, just a slight tingling where the flame was. I started violently shaking my hand, then immediately stopping as this caused my wounded shoulder to get about a hundred times worst.

I sat huddled in the corner of my cage, staring at the palm of my hand.

What did the whitecoats do to me? Can I turn this off?

Suddenly I realised something, but that depended on how hot this flame was. I held the palm of my hand to the metal bars of my cage. I only had to wait a few seconds, then the bar started to melt.

_Oh my god!_

I can't escape now. I needed to plan.

I heard footsteps coming from far away.

I needed to turn this off now! I didn't want the whitecoats knowing I had this power, they might put me in a melt-proof cage or something.

_Calm down._ I thought. If it started because I was angry, then If I calmed down then it should go.

I focused all my energy into pulling the flames back, and the flame sizzled out just as the whitecoat appeared at my cage door, grabbing my outstretched leg and pulling me out. I touched one of my hands to the hand that had just been on fire.

It was burning hot.

I smiled to myself.

Fang's POV.

I turned slowly. Iggy stood behind me in the darkness.

"Where the hell are you going?" He repeated, hissing at me in an attempt to not wake up everyone.

"Uhh.." I stuttered.

"You're going for Max aren't you? I'm coming." He said, grabbing my rucksack of the floor and swinging it onto his shoulders.

"Iggy! If something happens, I need you to be here for the others." I whispered. If something happened to both me and Max, I need to know Iggy would look after everyone.

"No." He said simply, adopting a stubborn expression similar to Max's.

"Fine!" I hissed. I grabbed the note I'd written and added that Iggy was coming.

About twenty minutes later we were rocketing as fast as we could to the school.

"How far is it exactly?" Iggy asked quietly as he flew beside me.

"I'm not quite sure, but we can't do it all in one go. We need to sleep and fuel up before we get to the school."

After a silence he said "You love her, don't you."

I looked at him in shock. Obviously he didn't see this, but he sensed my shock I think.

I didn't say anything.

"Everyone loves Max." I replied. It's true.

"You know what I mean."

"It doesn't matter." I said sharply.

Max's POV.

After about two more days of torture, I was shattered. I was so weak I found it hard to lift my head. My shoulder had a raging infection, and I was shaky. I think I had a fever too.

But I spent all my waking time in my cage training myself to control my new power. I had successfully melted away two bars of the cage. I was so skinny now that I could probably fit through.

I had learnt that the kid in the cage next to me was called Jason. He'd been taken from his parents in broad daylight.

As the hours stretched on, I absently wondered if I could launch fireballs or not.

Suddenly the sound of a klaxon rang through the school. A bunch of whitecoats went past my cage. I could hear them talking as they stopped a little down the hallway.

"Is it her? Has one of the powers we gave her developed early?"

_What! Are they talking about me? Am I going to develop more powers._

A bunch or erasers came down the hallway and were ordered into different places by the whitecoats. I looked over at Jason who looked terrified.

Then the whitecoats were at my cage, tugging me out.

"Have you done this?" One hissed at me. I was so weak I could barely stand, and I leaned back onto my cage.

"How would I do this?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasam.

This particular bunch of whitecoats had been experimenting on me from the beginning. The one who'd gotten pissed when I didn't tell him my name suddenly snapped. He grabbed me by the shoulders, making me scream in pain, twisted me around and slammed me into the wall.

I screamed in agony as he purposely squeezed my infected shoulder. Black rained down on my vision as I struggled to stay conscious. Then he put his hands around my throat and started squeezing.

"RILEY STOP!" A voice shouted.

"That's subject six. SUBJECT SIX." More screaming. My hearing was echoing and it sounded like I was in a tunnel.

My vision cleared enough that I could see a bunch on whitecoats trying to pull him off me.

"For god's sake Riley, I'm subject six!" I managed to croak.

He yelled in rage and squeezed tighter. I felt all lightheaded when suddenly there were no hands around my throat. I slid to the floor.

I felt myself drifting away. I could feel my body, but I couldn't move anything.

I could feel something shaking me and crying out my name.

Wait. I knew that voice. I struggled and managed to open my eyes to see Fang above me, tears running down his face. When I opened my eyes he pulled my up into a hug.

"Jesus Max, I thought you were dead."

"You came." I stared into his dark eyes.

"I promised I would."

I stood up slowly, leaning against the wall.

"The erasers will be here in seconds, we have to scram." I croaked while unlatching Jason's cage. When he was out he ran at me and hugged me as hard as we could, crying into my shirt.

"Shhh it's okay, your going to get out." I said soothingly.

I looked up and noticed Iggy for the first time, down the hall kicking the whitecoat that had been strangling me. All the other white coats were on the floor. I peeled Jason off me and made my was over to Iggy.

"Let me." I said coldly. He looked up at me, hesitated for a second, and then stepped back.

Adrenaline was giving me energy as I knelt down to the still conscious whitcoat. With my good arm I grabbed the collar of his shirt and hauled him up, standing as I did so. I bundled him up against the wall.

"For your information, Riley." I spat, lifting my hand and letting y rage create a fire in my palm.

Riley stared at it wide eyed.

"My name." I brought my hand close to his face so he could feel the heat radiating off it. Pure, undiluted fear showed in his eyes.

"is Maximum Ride." I finished. I grabbed his hand with my own flaming hand, and he started screaming. I only held my hand there for half a second, but when I took it off there were horrible burn marks on his hand as Riley sunk to the ground, unconscious.

**Hey guys. I'm only ending it here because I don't want it to be too long winded. But I'll probably write another chapter straight after this one. Thanks so much for reading this, it really means so much to me to see people actually reading this, it means the world to me so….**

**Review?**

**Fly on- Raven.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys. I am so so sorry I didn't update sooner. I had family visiting and loads of homework and then I was at a sleepover and I just couldn't find the time.**

**Please forgive me.**

…**.Onwards.**

Max POV

After Riley sunk to the ground, I made the flame in my hand sizzle out and die. I turned round to see a shell shocked Fang staring at me and Iggy staring in my direction.

"What." I said a little too roughly.

"Max….you got a new power?" Fang said

"What? What happened? What did she do?" Iggy said to Fang.

"I can control fire. I can hold a flame in my hand and not be burnt. I can melt stuff." I said bluntly, shocking Iggy into silence.

"I wish that was my power." I heard him mutter quietly, making me smile through my pain.

"Heard that, Ig."

I turned back to face Fang.

"We need to get the hell out of here, there are Erasers coming." I said quickly, and he seemed to shake off the shock of seeing me almost burn somebody's hand off and moved towards the wall.

"There's a vent above my head." He said, motioning above him.

"I'm not going to be able to get up into it." I said. It felt awful admitting my weaknesses, but I had to.

"Why?" Fang said, mystified. He was probably shocked I admitted it too.

Instead of answering I just pulled down the sleeve of my t-shirt to show my wounded shoulder.

I heard him gasp as he came closer to inspect it properly.

"Don't touch it!" I barked as he raised his hands to feel my wound.

He dropped his hand to his side.

"Ok then. Iggy, you climb into the vent and lift her up, and I'll push her from below." He said to Iggy, who nodded and made his way into the vent, hauling himself up and through with a groan.

He turned round and dangled his hands out.

"Ok!" He said. I started sweating, the Erasers would probably be here any second.

I moved to under the vent, Fang behind me. I looked back at him and nodded, and he put his hands just under my waist and lifted me up.

_God, he's strong! _I thought. But then again, I wasn't exactly at my heaviest at the moment.

Iggy reached down to me and grabbed me just above my waist, and pulled my up while Fang pushed me towards him.

I heard footsteps echoing from a distant hallway.

Both Fang and Iggy froze, then started push/pulling me up again. It took a while and it was a struggle. But then Iggy was pulling me into the vent. I moved just in time so that my wounded shoulder wasn't bashed against the entrance to the vent, which was conveniently just wide enough for bird kinds.

Then I was in fully, and Iggy shuffling back on his hands and knees to give me room. I was on my hands and knees, but didn't put any weight onto the hand which was connected to my wounded shoulder. That would make it a hell of a lot worse.

There was a thump as Fang pulled himself up after me.

Then, with Iggy leading, we all started crawling down the vent.

We'd been going for literally two seconds when we heard the Erasers reach where we'd just been. We could hear parts of their echoing argument as they wondered where we'd gone.

"Where did they go?" Ari's loud voice echoed down the vent, making me smile to myself.

There were a few mutterings and then somebody yelled: "Look, the cover isn't on the vent!"

Iggy, Fang and I sped up our crawling pace, which was hard for me considering I was doing it one handed. Suddenly the world around me tilted, and I could barely see. I felt weak, and my shoulder felt like it was on fire. I couldn't hear anything anymore, it was like I had detached myself from the world.

It took all my strength to keep moving.

My hearing came back as I heard a lot of thumping behind me, and looked over my shoulder to see Fang crawling close behind me.

"They're in." He said quietly, and that was all I needed to hear. We all sped up even more as we heard loud thumping behind us.

"You might as well stop, mutants. We know you're here!"

Ari. He was in. Iggy came to a two way parting in front of him and without hesitation took the right vent.

"Do you know where your going, Ig?" I whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes." He breathed back.

After a few more minutes of this, I was slowing down. I just didn't have the strength at the moment, and the fact that I think I had a fever _really _ exacerbated things.

"Come on Max, you can do this." Fang whispered from behind me. I think he realised I was slowing down.

"Leave me, I can't" I chocked out, leaning against the wall for two seconds so Ii wouldn't fall onto my face.

"I can't, Max." He whispered, and I looked back at him.

"Why?" I breathed.

He smirked. "The vent isn't wide enough."

I smiled as more thumps came from behind us.

"Which tunnel did you take, little piggy's. Tell me and I'll kill you all faster." Ari's gruff voice came from behind.

Iggy stopped moving, and we all held out breath.

More thumps. I felt my hopes fall, because Ari had taken the right way.

Iggy started crawling again, and I started, but more slowly.

"Max!" Fang whispered, "You have to speed up, it's only about two more minutes.

I put my head down and grit my teeth, soldering on until Iggy stopped.

I looked up, but my vision was hazy and I barely saw Iggy's silhouette as he disappeared.

I moved closer to where he was and my sluggish brain finally made the connection: The way out!

I started moving towards it, and cried out as my shoulder brushed the edge of the vent opening.

"Aha! Got you!" I heard Ari yell from behind me. He sounded close.

"Go Max go!" Fang said, and he shoved me out of the vent opening.

I didn't fall far, but I landed on my wounded shoulder and I almost blacked out.

Fang jumped out from behind me and helped me up.

"I can't fly." I whispered as I tried to stand, my vision went into black spots, and I found it really hard to stand, I stumbled and Fang had to grab me.

"Come on, Iggy, grab her legs!" He said urgently.

Disconnected thoughts ran through my brain, and I struggled to think clearly. I was dimly aware of feeling my legs being lifted and my head and shoulders too.

"Iggy, lift off and I'll lift off." I heard.

Thoughts slipped through my brain like sand through my fingers, and I couldn't hold on to a single one.

I was vaguely aware we were flying, and then I heard a bunch of pops.

Suddenly, every nerve ending in my body was screaming in pain, and everything went black.

Fang's POV.

_Oh god oh god!_

Ari had made his way out of the vents, and I had turned round just in time to see him fire wildly at us, his aim all over the place.

Suddenly Max screamed and I looked round to see that a bullet had just missed Iggy's arm's and hit her foot.

"Faster, Iggy" I yelled.

"There's no point." Ari yelled. I looked back to see him lifting off behind us.

He'd got an upgrade on his wings then. They weren't as patchwork, and he was flying faster.

Almost as fast as us.

Max POV.

I became aware of pain everywhere. My thoughts were blurred through the new pain in my foot, but I opened my eyes to see Fang just above me as he held my head. He saw I was awake and smiled grimly down at me.

"It'll be okay Max. We'll survive." He said, and I realised that Ari was just above him.

"Fang!" I croaked as loud as I could.

He jerked his head up sharply just as Ari dropped a bit and kicked him in the head.

Suddenly my vision went into a tunnel, and everything was black apart from Ari. He was all I could see.

Anger bubbled up inside me and I dimly wondered if I could lift my arm to fire at him, and realised I couldn't.

Then he was blasted out of the sky.

And then I blacked out.

**Listen guys, I am so so so sorry I didn't update sooner. I was going to do it earlier today, but I was doing homework literally all day, and I had a huge English essay to do aswell.**

**I feel like this chapter wasn't good enough for you guys. I hope it was.**

**Sooo…. Please please please review!**

**Fly on- Raven.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey. Thank you so much to the couple of people who reviewed! If I Get 4 or more reviews on this chapter tonight I'll update tomorrow, so…**

**Onwards!**

Jason POV.

He was so scared. He was lost, had accidentally gone too far from Max and the other two and now he was lost.

He was so cold.

He hadn't meant to go away from Max.

When her friends had come to get her, he was so happy, because she had promised she'd take him away from this horrible place.

But when She'd gone up to that mean man and burnt him, he had seen a weird light in her eyes. They were normally dark brown, but in that instant he'd seen flames dancing in them. There had been a feral rage in her eyes, a look of pure anger, and he'd gotten so scared.

Nobody saw him go. Max's two friends had been watching Max in shock, so nobody noticed when he'd backed down the corridor. He'd run. He didn't know where he was going, but he was so scared.

**Just a quick Authors note: Jason is Gazzy's age, but Jason wasn't used to this life, he was taken from his parents. So that's why it sounds like he's younger.**

Now he didn't know what to do. He was in one of the rooms that had a big metal table. He was sitting in the corner with his chin resting on his knees and his hands around his legs, in a sort of foetal position.

Now he collected his thoughts and stood up. He went up to the table, and recoiled with horror after seeing that it had blood on it.

He felt funny. The other day the scientists had experimented on him even more. He had no clue what they did, because he passed out in fright when the man had brought out a giant scalpel, the bright lights reflecting off of the blade, making it shine.

But all of a sudden, he had the biggest headache. The most painful headache that he'd ever had. It was even worse than that one time when he'd had the flu, before he'd been taken, and his mum had sat up with him all night, reading his stories to make him feel better.

Now it was unbearable. He clutched his head and dropped to the ground howling in pain. **Authors note: No, it's not one of Max's brain attacks from the first book.**

Tears poured down his face as the pain dragged on, and then it was gone. It didn't fade away, it just disappeared as quickly as it had come.

He opened his eyes slowly, expecting it to start again as soon as he opened his eyes. He stood up gradually and carefully, not wanting to set it off again.

He felt something behind him. Sensed something. He felt weird, like his brain was working on a whole new level. Like he could see and hear things he'd never seen or heard before.

He turned his head slowly to see a shadowy figure standing in the corner of the room. He was a little frightened, but he knew that it didn't want to hurt him.

"I can show you the way out." The voice echoed, clearly a girl's.

"C-can you?" He stuttered.

Suddenly the figure went from a shadow to a slightly transparent figure of a girl, about Max's age. **A/N: Can you guess who it is?**

She nodded, and extended her wings.

Max POV.

I woke up slowly. I had an awful headache, and my shoulder and my foot throbbed unbearably in sync.

_Great. Bloody great. _I thought to myself as I opened my eyes. I was in a cave, and I was getting a strong sense of déjà vu. I felt to weak to even lift my head to look around, but I sensed I'd been here before. Suddenly Fang popped up into my field of vision, looking concerned and worried.

"Max, are you ok?"

"Fine." I said. It shocked me how weak I sounded. What was wrong with me?

"Eat this." He said, pulling of….wait…

"Is that my Knapsack?" I croaked.

He opened it and nodded without looking at me, pulling a few wrapped packages out of it.

He unwrapped them and I gasped. "Kebabs? Where the hell did you find Kebabs?"

He smirked. "Same as last time."

I was sick of being confused now. "Where the hell are we?"

"Where we first flew with the Hawks, not too far from Dr Martinez's house." He said, and it all came rushing back to me.

"Oh my god Fang, how are the flock are they ok? Where are they? do they know you and Iggy left? Are they-"

He held up one hand, making me stop.

"Max, calm down, they're fine!" He smirked. "You turned into Nudge for a second."

He pushed the Kebabs at me.

"Eat."

"I'm not hungry."

He looked shocked. "That's the first time I've ever heard you say that. What's wrong? Is it your shoulder?"

I nodded. "I feel all weak and fluey and headachy." I said, closing my eyes briefly.

I heard rustling and opened them to see Fang rooting through my pack.

"What are you doing?"

He looked up as he pulled out what looked like my first aid kit.

"I need to clean you up." He said, shuffling closer to me (He'd been kneeling.)

He helped me sit up and propped me up against the wall, and then pulled my shirt off my shoulder.

I sucked in a quick breath through my teeth as I saw the mess that was the bullet wound. Believe me, you don't want to know what it looks like.

As he wiped away dirt gently, I had to clench my fists hard to stop myself from screaming.

It was a horrible ordeal, and by the time he put on a bandage, I couldn't stop myself from yelling out in pain.

He brushed my hair out of my face with his hand.

"Look at me Max." I opened my eyes and looked into his dark ones. "You can do this. You'll be fine, but I need to do this or you'll get so much worse." He said, and I nodded.

By the time he'd bandaged my wounded foot as well, I was so exhausted I was half asleep. I slowly unclenched my fists and opened my palms to see my hands were covered in blood, and my fingernails had cut _deep _into my palm.

I slid down the cave wall and closed my eyes.

I felt his hand on my non-wounded shoulder.

"Sleep Max. I'll watch over you. I'll protect you. I won't let them take you again."

Before I could reply, I was asleep.

**Ok so guys, If I get 4 or more reviews, I'll update tomorrow, I promise. I would also love it so much if you answered these questions in the reviews:**

**1: Was the chapter to long, to short or just fine.**

**2: Who's point of view do you want me to write more of it from?**

**3:Who's point of view do you want the next chapter to start from?**

**Thank you so much for reading this guys, I really appreciate it.**

**Fly on – Raven.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey. I'd like to say thank you to the people who reviewed, it means so much to me! (Oh, and by the way, in case I didn't say this before, constructive criticism is welcomed here.)**

**I'll strike you guys a deal. If I get 4 or more reviews on this chapter, I'll upload two chapters in one night. Yeah, you head me, TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT! So get reviewing!**

**Onwards!**

Fang's POV.

I woke with a start the next day. I sat up, stretching, and yawned.

"Good morning."

I looked over to Iggy. "When did you wake up?" I asked.

"Not to long ago." He motioned towards Max. "She was moving like crazy in her sleep. Muttering and rolling around and kicking out and stuff. I tried to wake her up but I couldn't."

I went over to where Max was not in a foetal position on the ground. I touched her arm gently.

"Max…." I said, shaking her arm slightly. "Max?" I said louder. "Max!" I yelled. She still didn't wake up.

Pure horror shot through me like an electric shot.

Iggy was next to me. "Max!" He shouted as loud as he could.

I grabbed her arm roughly and rolled her over onto her back.

I gasped.

She was so pale…. And her cheekbones were more prominent than usual, her face seeming like it had stuck out, and the sight of it sort of reminded me of a skull.

I turned over her wrist and jammed two fingers onto it, feeling for her pulse. I couldn't find it.

"Oh my god Iggy I can't find her pulse!" My voice rose to a shout.

"Here here let me!" He said, shoving me out of the way.

I held my breath as he felt, his face a picture of utter concentration.

"Oh my god I found it." The words came out in a rush, like he'd been holding his breath.

"It's so weak, I can barely feel it, but it's there." He said.

"We've got to get her to Dr Martinez! She'll know what to do!" I said, picking up Max and emerging out of the cave, and diving off the cliff edge. She was so light, it worried me. She'd always been really thin, but never like this.

I hoped to God that she'd be ok.

Max POV.

I slowly came back to consciousness. My thoughts were muddled, and I couldn't move. I slowly became aware that I wasn't lying on anything, and that it sort of felt like I was flying.

I opened my eyes a crack, and the sunlight scorched my eyes, making me squeeze them shut. I opened them again, bearing the sunlight, and I could just make up Fang's form above me.

"Fang…." I said weakly. He looked down at me quickly, his face a picture of utter concern.

"Oh thank God Max. We're taking you to Dr Martinez's house. She'll make you better." He said.

I yawned massively.

"Why am I so tired?" I said. My voice….. I sounded so frail. I felt frail, like one particularly strong gust of wind would snap me in half.

"I don't know Max. Just hold on, we'll be there soon."

My eyes suddenly started to drift shut. My fevered thoughts started slowing down, and I felt the world spinning around me.

All of a sudden my eyes flew wide open.

One word had drifted through my brain, and I'd clung to it, trying to remember how it had got there.

Then I remembered.

Jason.

Fang's POV **A/N: I will get some of Iggy's point of view, but I haven't really got round to it yet,**

I could see she was drifting off and it worried me. I tried to fly faster, cursing the fact I didn't have super speed like Max.

Suddenly her eyes flew wide open, and she made a noise.

"Jason." She whispered.

"Who?" I said back, wondering if she was hallucinating or something.

"Jason. We left him." She sounded so distraught, and I wondered why. And then I remembered, and my heart sank.

_We left him. _He thought.

"Jason." Her voice rose. "We have to get him now Fang!" She started shouting.

I couldn't believe we'd left that little kid there, all on his own. It was my fault. Max had been out of it because of her pain, and Iggy was blind.

_I should have seen him go._

There were no words to describe how awful I felt. I thought of that little boy, all on his own, facing the wrath of the whitecoats. I remembered what they'd done to me when I was that age, and pure fear went through me. But we couldn't save him now.

If I went and got him now, Max would die.

I couldn't let that happen.

"Jason!" she shouted, raising her arms and hitting me weakly. "We have to go get him!" Her voice got weaker with every word. She sounded so frail.

Iggy pulled up beside me.

"Who's Jason?"

"That little boy. He ran off and we forgot about him. He's still at the school."

"Oh my God." Iggy said. During the short silence, I'm sure he was remembering his childhood at the school like me.

The silence carried on, and I realised Max had passed out.

"We've got to save Max, Ig. Then we'll get him." I said. I didn't know why I cared so much about this little boy, but I just did.

He nodded just as I recognised Dr Martinez's house below us.

"Here it is!" I yelled, and soared down.

Jason POV.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor to the room he was in. Panic started to rise up in him, and he was terrified all over again.

"Come over here." She said. He numbly made his way over to the corner she was in.

She grabbed his shoulders. Her touch stung, and he hissed as she turned him around and wrapped her wings around him just as a bunch of white coats accompanied by Erasers burst into the room.

"They can't see us." She said calmly. "Or hear us."

"Why?" He whispered, not quite believing her.

"When I wrap my wings around you, you're hidden." She said. "I don't know how it works."

"What are you?" He asked her quietly when the white coats had gone. She let him go and he stumbled out of her grasp, turning to face her as he did.

"I'm just like you." She said, staring into his eyes as she said her next sentence, one which chilled him to the bone.

"Only I'm dead." She stated.

**DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNN! So guys, how'd you like that chapter? REMEMBER: IF I GET 4 OR MORE REVIEWS, I'LL POST TWO LONG CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT.**

**Just a few questions:**

**1: Was this chapter better, worse or the same? (than the last one)**

**2: Was it to long, to short or just fine?**

**3: What's happening with Jason? See if you can guess. I'll shout out to you in the next chapter if you guess it right.**

**Fly on – Raven.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey. Yesterday I promised 2 chapters in one night if I got 4 or more reviews., and I didn't, so only 1 chapter. If you want 2 chapters in one night, review!**

**Onwards!**

Max's POV.

I opened my eyes a crack, and all I could see was blurs.

_What's happening to me?" _I thought lazily, as I felt a sharp bump.

"Max.." A voice echoed. I frowned.

Voices sounded like they were echoing all around me, and I could only catch a few words.

"Max…..Ill…help….yeah….here" I concentrated. Where had I heard that voice before?

After about 15 seconds I remembered.

_Oh yeah…. Fang. _It was Fang's voice I was hearing.

I felt myself being carried and then gently placed on a table.

I opened my eyes, and saw what looked like blobs above me, and then my eyes focused slowly, showing Fang's face hovering above me, his expression worried sick.

He gripped my hand, squeezing gently.

"Come on Max. You can pull through, just hold on. Hold on."

I watched his lips move, and the sound came a few seconds after.

"What's wrong with me?" I croaked, my voice so quiet that Fang had to put his ear next to my face.

"I- I'm not sure, probably your shoulder being infected or-" He started, but then Dr Martinez swooped in, fussing over me.

She pulled down the sleeve of my shirt to expose my wounded shoulder, making her make a startled noise, covering her mouth.

I half smirked through my pain.

"I've had worse." I croaked. Always the joker, that's me.

Fang looked upset and I realised just how bad this was.

I was probably gonna die.

I wasn't ready. I was going to fight this, and stay strong.

Noooo, The Maximum Ride wasn't over yet.

Fang's POV.

As I gently laid Max on the table in Dr Martinez's, her eyes opened.

She looked so _weak._

"What's wrong with me?" She croaked, her voice so quiet I had to put my ear next to her mouth to hear her.

My heart twisted. Losing Max is the worst thing that could ever happen to me, it always has been.

"I-I'm not sure. It's probably your shoulder being infected or-" Before I could continue, Dr Martinez came swooping in with her doctor's stuff and started fussing over Max, making a startled noise when she saw Max's shoulder.

It was a mess, absolutely- actually, I'll spare you the details. You'll thank me.

I gasped quietly. This was awful, it was unbearable, seeing Max in this state, it hurt me so badly.

Max smirked through her obvious pain.

"I've had worse."

This upset me loads. Those three words pretty much summed up Max as a person, always staying strong, always fighting.

As I struggled to contain my emotions, Max and I made eye contact, and I saw a will in her eyes, a strength, and I was almost certain she'd be fine.

Almost being the definitive word here.

Just before Dr Martinez started surgically removing the bullet out of Max's shoulder, she looked over to me.

"I think you should tell the flock what's happening. They have to know."

I nodded, and walked out of the surgery, which was closed, and walked the few metres down to Dr Martinez's house, opening the door.

The flock were all sitting in the living room quietly, Nudge and Angel hugging each other and crying, and when Gazzy turned to me, I saw tears streaking down his cheeks quietly. Iggy looked the same as me, knowing, and distraught, quietly stressing over it.

As I came in Angel read my mind instantly and obviously started crying harder, wailing loudly now.

"Fang?" The Gasman was trying so hard to be strong, but he was only eight.

I knelt down to get on his level.

"Yeah?" I said caringly. Yeah, I'm good with kids. **A/N: He is actually really good with Gazzy in the beginning of the Angel Experiment, where – nevermind.**

"Is Max going to be okay?" He asked quietly, his little face looking scared to death.

I didn't want to lie to him, but at the same time I didn't want to crush him.

"I don't know Gazzy." I said truthfully, staring into his electric blue eyes, identical to Angel's.

He hugged me, sobbing, making Nudge come over and hug me, and then we were all in a group hug, calling on each other for support.

When it ended, I went to the door.

"I'm going back to Max." I said as reassuringly as I could.

I saw them all (except for Iggy, who turned his head roughly in my direction.) lift up their heads eagerly.

"No. You're not coming." I said quickly cutting them off. The last thing these kids needed to see was Max in her current state.

I looked towards Iggy.

"Iggy, you can come." I said.

He looked like he wanted to, but then shook his head.

"Nah man, I think Max only wants you there." He said.

"Okay."

When I went back to Max, Dr Martinez was still cutting into her shoulder. It was a horrible sight, but I needed to be here for Max.

I opened my mouth to ask Dr Martinez something and she answered before I could.

"No she's not asleep, and it's not numbed, I didn't have enough time, if I'd gone to get the things I needed for that she'd probably die." She said quickly, concentrating on finding the bullet.

This was so hard to watch, and it brought back loads of painful memories of the school, but I couldn't imagine what it must be like for Max.

I held her hand and squeezed it gently, making her open her eyes and look at me.

I smiled weakly at her. "You're going to be fine." I said.

"I'm losing it." She croaked.

"What?" I said, my heart racing.

Dr Martinez stopped.

"I need more supplies." She said bluntly and ran off.

"Fang, I'm going. I can't hold on to my thoughts and I'll lose them soon." She said in a rush.

I was shocked.

"I'll- I'll tell Dr Martinez." I said, slightly phrasing it as a question, and she nodded just as Dr Martinez came back in and carried on with Max's shoulder.

I repeated Max's words to Dr Martinez.

"Max, you've just got to hold on. I think I might know what's happening, it's a fever." She said.

A few minutes later, Dr Martinez still hasn't found the bullet I Max's shoulder, and therefore couldn't get it out, and Max was moaning in pain.

Suddenly Max's eyes flew wide open and she screamed.

Jason's POV.

"What!" He shouted. He was scared of ghosts, but ghosts weren't like this, they were bad, not teenage girls Max's age.

"Ssh!" She hissed, raising her hands to shush him.

He fell silent.

"I'm not completely dead. You can help me, Jason. If I get you to Max, you help me, ok?" She said, looking him in the eye.

He nodded shakily.

"Ok then."

She wrapped him in her wings and walked him through a few corridors, his heart pounding. It was kind of awkward like this, her hands on his shoulders pushing him forward, while keeping her wings wrapped around him.

After a terrifying walk through a few corridors and _right through _a group of angry debating white coats, they were out.

He turned back to her.

"How are we going to get to Max? I don't know where she is." He said.

"Yes you do. Think. She told you about her friend in Arizona, where her flock were."

"You heard that?" He exclaimed, startled.

She smiled. "I heard everything."

He squirmed. "How long is the journey?" He asked, remembering Max saying that it was a couple of days.

She grinned. "No time, if you with me." With that she wrapped her wings around him again and snapped her fingers, and then they were in somebody's back garden, with a yellow swing hanging off a tree.

The girl led him out onto the road and into what looked like a doctor's surgery, pushing him into one of the rooms, and folding her wings, making the people in the room look up.

Max was on the bed, and Jason rushed up to her. She looked so ill. He turned to the boy in black, who looked absolutely stunned at his arrival.

"What's wrong with Max?" Jason asked. The boy sighed and his face fell.

"Her shoulder is infected, but how did you get here?" He asked.

Jason turned and motioned to the girl, who was standing in the doorway, watching, saying "She led me here."

The boy looked over to where Jason had motioned, looking confused.

"Who? Nobody's there."

**Dun dun dun. So remember guys, 2 long chapters if I get 4 or more reviews, and also I'd like to thank my readers so so much, it means the world to me.**

**Fly on – Raven.**


	10. OMG CHAPTER 10 AND OVER 1050 VIEWS!

**Hey. I'm a little disappointed, but you guys don't need to hear. **

**Never mind.**

**But on a better not, ITS CHAPTER 10! WOOOO!**

**I'd like to thank all the people reading this so much, because we've hit 1050 views! Ii can't believe it! I never thought that my writing would actually entertain people! English is my favourite subject, and all you guys have given me the boost in confidence that I really needed. I'd really like to thank all my dedicated reviewers. **

**Remember 4 or more reviews and I'll make it 3 chapters.**

**Onwards.**

Fang's POV

What? There was nobody there!

_Is this kid schizophrenic? _I thought to myself.

I shook my head. I just needed to get back to Max.

"Listen, kid. Go down four houses, to the house with the red door, and knock three times. Tell them I've sent you, and tell the tallest one everything you told me and more."

He scuttled out of the room, looking like he was scooting past somebody at the doorway.

I squinted at where he'd pointed, but I couldn't see anything, yet the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I shook my head. Iggy would deal with him, I needed to get back to Max.

She'd passed out literally two seconds before the little kid came in, and now, once he was gone, she opened her eyes.

"Max?" I said cautiously.

She looked me in the eyes, and hers were blank. I couldn't see any traces of the Max I knew, and had known all my life. I can't remember a good moment that didn't have Max in it.

Then she screamed, thrashing around.

Dr Martinez cried out in shock, backing away.

"Hold her down Fang, I think she's hallucinating."

I shakily did as she asked, and pinned down Max.

She kept wriggling and shouting, determined to get out of my grasp.

"Calm her down!" Dr Martinez yelled. "I need to fix her shoulder!"

I looked deep into her eyes.

"Max!" I shouted.

"Max, calm down, it's me, Fang." I still stared into her eerily blank eyes as she kept wriggling, but she had stopped screaming.

"But… you're a white coat." She muttered to herself.

My eyes widened. So she was hallucinating that she was in the school.

Now that Max was calm, Dr Martinez moved in to carry on with whatever she had been doing (I hadn't really looked).

Max started screaming once again, her screams blood curling, and you could hear her pure horror.

I grabbed her head.

"Max." I yelled. "Max, you are not at the school. You are at Dr Martinez's house, getting you shoulder fixed. THIS IS A HALLUCINATION. Max, it's me, it's Fang." I said, and suddenly her eyes returned to normal.

"Fang?" she whispered, looking so scared it just about broke my heart, so I pulled her up into a hug.

"It's okay Max. Your fine." I whispered.

I let her go, and Dr Martinez carried on doing medical things.

Suddenly I thought I saw a figure by the doorway, but when I turned my head, there was nobody there.

I shrugged. Probably nothing.

The Girl's POV. **Still not saying who she is yet.**

She grinned as Max started screaming.

She didn't have anything against Max, it wasn't personal, but she kind of really needed Max dead.

**Oooh, can you guess why guys?**

Iggy's POV.

**Can I just say before you read this that it might be rubbish, because I'm not very good at writing from a blind person's point of view, but oh well.**

We were all sitting quietly in the living room. The only noises I could hear were Nudge and Angel's muffled sobs, and Gazzy's sniffling.

I was perched on the back of the sofa, thinking hard.

I couldn't believe we'd left that kid there. I knew what it was like, what he was going through at the moment, and the memory still gave me nightmares. It still gave Max and Fang nightmares too. We'd never really talked about it, but I heard them both talk, and sometimes shout, in their sleep, and I know that I probably do too.

I know Nudge has nightmares, but they're not as intense as ours. I've only ever heard her muttering in her sleep.

**Oh yeah, Do you guys want an Eggy or Niggy? Or neither? **

Gazzy and Angel have it best off. I know they remember the school, but they don't remember it as well. I think they just have blurry recollections, vague childhood memories.

But the memories were still fresh with Max, Fang and I.

We all remembered it _**very **_clearly.

And I know that we all wish that we didn't.

I couldn't believe that Max was dying. It was awful, as I'd known her from… well…. Since forever.

The pain inside me was awful, and I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go see how Max was doing.

Suddenly there were a few knocks on the door, and I heard Gazzy leap up to get it. I stood and slowly made my way to the door, still getting used to my surroundings.

"Umm, hello. A boy dressed in black down the road told me to come here." I heard a little kid say.

_Why the hell did Fang send him here? _I thought as I pushed past everybody to stand in the doorway so that this kid could see me.

"Why?" I demanded.

"Oh, it's you. He said talk to the tall one and tell him everything." The kid said.

_The tall one? __**The tall one?**_

Fine. Fang had to have sent him for a reason.

"Fine," I said gruffly, motioning for him to come in and remembering too late that this wasn't our house. Oh well.

I heard him plop onto the sofa, and I perched on the back of it.

"Ok then, kid. Tell me everything." I said. I hope this was worth it.

**Then Jason explained how he got there and what happened after he ran away from them, all the way up until Iggy answered the door, but you don't really need to hear it. Sparing you a lot of boring stuff here.**

He finished speaking.

"So…. Is the girl here now?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"She's with Max and that boy-"

"Fang." I corrected.

"-Fang." He finished.

"Wait..." I paused. "How do you know?"

**He shrugged. I felt this was necessary to note down, but Iggy can't see it, so I did it through the power of Authors notes :D.**

"I just know."

Hmm. This reminded me of something. Oh yeah, that film, The Shining. I repressed a snort as I remembered the "I see dead people" line.

Max, Fang and I had watched it, (or heard it, in my case) on Halloween when we were twelve, in a dark room with the door closed and lights off. **(When and how I watched it, btw.) **, when Jeb was still with us.

He'd told us that we'd be terrified, and that it was really scary.

Well, let's just say that it wasn't scary, and we have a slightly twisted sense of humour. **(Also my reaction, lol.)**

I smiled to myself as I reminisced, and then got back to the point. This reminded me. What was that called… Clairvoyance! When people's brain's are on a different frequency or something, and they can see ghosts. **(I don't know if this is true, by the way!)**

I gasped. The white coats, were re wiring people's brain's completely then.

And I recall hearing Fang mention lots of brand new scars on Max's head.

They had re-wired her brain.

They might be able to control her.

**Dun dun dunnnnnnnn! Yeah guys, 4 reviews then 3 chapters in one night. THREE. And Please answer these questions aswell:**

**1:Do you want an Eggy, Niggy or nothing?**

**2: Do you want any of the other ships included in this story?**

**3: Can you guess what's happened to Max?**

**Fly on- Raven.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey. I'm really happy to see that his has got over 1140 veiws!**

**I'd also like to give a shout out to shiver282, who has reviewed on every chapter with really nice reviews, and was also my first reviewer! You really should go check out their stories, I've read one of them and It's amazing!**

**So thank you so much shiver282!**

**So thanks again to all of you who have read this, and a special big thanks to the cool guys out there who reviewed.**

**Keep reviewing guys!**

**Onwards!**

Max's POV.

Everything was a blur. I couldn't really see, but my eyes were open. I could make out a black clothed human shaped blur that was Fang, and when he leaned closer to my face I could just make out his features.

It wasn't so much that my eyesight was blurry, it was more like smudges. Every colour had been smudged all over, like my paintings when I was little when I accidentally laid my arm on the paper, smudging it.

I made out the door opening though.

I didn't even really know what Dr Martinez was doing anymore, as I felt immense pain all over, just as bad everywhere.

I think it was Iggy. I could only really tell because of how tall the figure was. He ran up to Fang and leaned over my bed, grasping my hand.

"Max, that Jason kid, he's at Dr Martinez's house." His voice came to my ears a few seconds after blurrily saw his lips move, and it echoed and was slightly distorted, but all the same, intense relief crashed through me.

Jason was fine. He was ok. He wasn't at the school.

"How." I breathed. Iggy, with his super hearing, barley heard me.

"Well, uh." He stood up again now, turning to Fang.

"From what he told me, he uh, well…. Ok, remember that time we watched the shining when we were twelve?" He suddenly asked.

I saw Fang nod, and I moved my head in a tiny nod, sending pain all down my spine.

"Well, Jason's like that kid." He said.

"He's clairvoyant?" Fang said, his voice incredulous.

"Either that, or he's seriously schizophrenic, which I really doubt. From what he told me, they've been working on mental powers at the school. He said they'd cut up his head and he'd suddenly, just after we left him, had this immense pain, and then his brain _changed._ Now he has some weird ass winged girl ghost following him, asking for Max."

"Okay-" Fang began, but Iggy cut him off, speaking really fast.

"No, Fang, listen! You said there were scars on Max's head." _There were scars on my head? WTF! I don't remember…._

Iggy kept on speaking:" Yeah, Gazzy mentioned that Jason has those scars, so they've obviously done this to Max. And from what movies I've heard, that means they might have control over her." His words all came out in a rush.

"What!" I managed to shout hoarsely, just about draining the last of my dwindling energy.

"I don't know if they can control you Max, but it seems pretty likely. You'll probably at least have a new power."

Oh god. This was all I needed.

**Use this to your advantage.**

_Hi voice, where you been? Did you go on holiday, 'cause I really could've used you in the last couple days!_

**Max, this is a golden opportunity. Take your powers, embrace them, and learn to control them.**

_No need. I'll probably die today anyway._

**We all die one day, Max. But your day isn't today. The Ride isn't over yet.**

_What?!_

The voice was gone. Typical. Leave me with some weird ass riddle and go.

Dr Martinez pulled away from me.

"I'm done stitching her up and stuff, and both of the bullets are out."

"So what do we do now?" Fang asked.

"Well, I need to give her some strong drugs to combat the infection, but I don't know how her body will react to them. She may even be knocked out for a couple of days, I just don't know."

"Please." I croaked. Everyone turned to look at me.

"Just make it stop, please." I croaked again. I hated this, I just wanted it to be over, one way or another.

She nodded, and went to get something, coming back with a sharp needle later.

I gritted my teeth as she injected me with something that sent fire raging up my arm and through my body. My vision went all swirly, and I was really disorientated.

"Fang-" Was all I could whisper before I was gone, pulled down into a black abyss.

Fang's POV.

Max looked me in the eye and whispered my name, and then she was gone.

Dr Martinez checked her pulse.

"It sounds fine, but she is still in great danger, but being here won't do anything anymore. All I can do from here is keep giving her drugs until the infection goes."

I nodded. "So should I stay here with Max, or-"

"No no! We'll bring her to my house. She can sleep on the spare bed.

I nodded and then proceeded to pick up Max bridal style, her head falling back as I did so, making her long hair swing down.

I frowned to myself. I swear her hair wasn't that dark when I last saw it. It looked a few shades darker. I mentally shrugged and carried Max to Dr Martinez's house (thank god it was night.)

As we were let in, the flock immediately crowded around me, including Jason, trying to get to Max.

"Guys!" I said loudly, making them stop.

"Give her some space guys." I said. "You can see her in a bit." They backed off a bit then, giving me enough room to go up the stairs and into the spare room, gently laying her down on the bed, and pulling the covers up to her shoulders.

It felt odd seeing Max asleep (Well, sort of asleep.) on her back. The flock weren't back sleepers. If we sleep on our backs **This happens to me sometimes, it's so painful. **Then when we wake up, our back is just one solid mass of pain that hurts whenever you move.

Max didn't even sleep on her side. She woke up on her side sometimes, but she actually falls asleep on her stomach, with her face turned to the right, and one hand under her stomach, and her legs placed so that it sort of looked like she was running, and her right hand would go under the pillow or would sit under her left shoulder. **This is exactly how I sleep lol. **

The flock slowly filtered in through the door, crowding around the bed. Angel was crying into Nudge's shoulder, who looked sombre, and she also looked like she'd aged a year in the past day. Gazzy wandered up to me and tugged on my hoodie, making me look down at him.

"Yeah buddy?" I said softly.

"Is Max okay?" He asked me, his eyes brimming over with tears. The whole flock turned to look at me, well, with the exception of Iggy who was standing behind me.

I nodded. "I think Max is going to be fine." Gazzy hugged me tightly, and I hugged him back, noticing just how small he was. We're all tall for our age, but Gazzy is still tiny compared to me.

"Come on guys, let's try get some sleep." I said. They'd had a long day and needed to rest now.

They all nodded, and Iggy went with them to say goodnight.

I stood in the doorway for a few minutes, just watching Max. Oh god I was so worried. She'd scared me half to death when I heard her get shot over the phone, and ever since then I'd never relaxed.

I didn't actually know if she'd still make it at this point. Her skin was stretched over her bones, so her face still just sort of looked like a skull. She was deathly pale, her skin showing no trace of her usual all year round tan.

I turned around and got the cushions off of the sofa, piling them on the ground next to Max's bed. I wasn't leaving her tonight.

I lay down on the ground without a duvet or anything, and then Dr Martinez came in with something in her hand.

"Fang?" She said softly. I looked over at her, and she looked worn out and tired.

"I brought you a duvet." She said, handing it to me as I stood up.

"Thanks."

She nodded and left me to my thoughts, lying next to Max on the ground.

The girl's POV.

Damn! It looked like Max was going to be ok! She watched as Fang lay down on the ground, pulling the duvet over him. He looked in her direction and squinted for one second, then looked away.

He might be part clairvoyant or something like that, but the girl didn't really care.

She just wanted Max dead.

**So, that was it! Funny story, I wrote this last night and then went to sleep, finishing it off today, but I woke up with a bad back because I accidentaly fell asleep on my back lol, just like I described earlier.**

**Oh the irony.**

**Fly on – Raven.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys. I'm really happy to see 1200 viewers! I can't believe it and I got 3 reviews so I'll reward you with another chapter.**

**Keep up the reviews!**

**Onwards!**

Max's POV.

Ugggghhhhhhh. I slowly and sluggishly came back to consciousness. My shoulder and my foot felt _**AWFUL. **_I had a headache and I just generally felt bad.

And to top it off I had slept on my back, which was now just all pain.

I heard a horrible low moan, and then realised that it was me.

Oops.

"Max?"

I opened one eye, to see a distressed Fang sitting next to my bed on a chair.

"Wha..How…" I didn't know where to start, I had so many questions.

He leaned closer to me. "You've been out for four days."

"Four _Days?"_

He nodded.

I put my hands over my face and rubbed my eyes.

"Has anything happened?" I asked warily.

He shook his head. "Nothing, thank god. Gazzy and Jason are great friends, though."

I closed my eyes, mentally groaning. By now Jason can probably make a bomb.

I didn't exactly need another pyro.

"How are you feeling?" Fang asked softly.

I opened my eyes and tried to fake a smile. "Fine."

He shook his head.

"Max, sometimes you can be the crappiest actor. I've known you my whole life Max. I can tell you're not fine. Tell me what's wrong."

Damn!

I quickly dropped the act.

"Shoulder. Foot. Pain. I've got a headache too. And I fell asleep on my back."

He winced at the last part, understanding the undiluted pain that I was in.

I tried to sit up, and found it really _really _hard to move my right arm.

Fang moved to help me, and gently pulled me into a sitting position.

I tried to lift my right arm, and stopped after like two seconds because it was too painful.

"Don't move it!" Fang said quickly.

"Oops." I smiled.

There was something missing though. Something I had misplaced.

"My ipod!" I suddenly exclaimed. I'd left it on the tree!

Dr Martinez came in.

"Max! you're awake! How are you feeling?" She asked.

"A hell of a lot better than I was." Was all I said.

She nodded. "I might need to give you some more painkillers, but not as strong."

I nodded and she went out.

Fang looked back at me.

"I've been worried sick about you Max."

I looked down sheepishly.

"No Max, look at me."

I looked back up at him.

"Don't do anything like that again. Swear you won't."

I can't swear to that.

"I can't swear to that." I repeated out loud.

"Max. Just don't, ok. I had a bloody heart attack. I don't think you realise how worried we all were. Angel and Gazzy were crying and Nudge barely spoke."

I looked away from his gaze.

"Sorry." I said apologetically. I hadn't meant to cause all this stress.

I pulled the covers off of me with my good arm and roughly swung my legs over the edge of the bed.

"Max." Fang said sharply, making me look at him.

"Dr Martinez said you shouldn't walk for about 2 weeks."

"So…. 5 days then."

He shook his head. "No Max, 2 weeks with our healing speed."

I stared at him in disbelief. Two whole weeks?

"Screw that." I said. Now way.

"No Max, if you walk you'll screw up your foot. Just… please don't make me worry."

"Can I at least have crutches or something?" I said.

He shrugged. "I don't know if your shoulder will be able to bear the weight."

I groaned out loud, putting my head in my hands. No way did I have to spend two weeks in a wheelchair or in bed.

Dr Martinez came in with an armful of stuff which she put on the bed.

"I need to change your bandages." She said.

I shrugged, or I at least tried to. One shoulder moved, and the wounded one lifted literally an inch, which sent agony all down it, making me gasp.

Note to self: Don't shrug.

She pulled down my sleeve and tugged off my bandages, revealing a horrible mess.

_I am going to have a really bad scar._

I mentally shrugged. In my mind, scars were a sign of survival. They showed that you beat whatever you fought. They were trophies, signs that you survived a great injury.

I gasped in pain as she tied the final knot, and then bit my lip.

The same thing happened with my foot.

"Fang told me I can't walk, but can I have crutches or something?" I asked desperately.

She shook her head. "There is no way that your shoulder will hold up." I groaned and leaned back.

"Max, you can't even lift your arm." Fang said from beside me.

"Oh yeah, and Max, you're going to need to wear a sling." I sighed as I took the sling off her and slipped in over my head, resting my arm into it.

"I'm sorry Max. You can have a wheelchair though."

I shook my head. **Loads of shaking heads lol. **"Don't worry, it's not you fault. Thank you so much for what you did. I would have died if it wasn't for you." I said gratefully.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fang visibly flinch when I spoke about my death.

Dr Martinez went out and Fang came and sat next to me on the bed.

After a few minutes of silence, I groaned.

"I can't believe it. Two weeks!" I said.

Fang looked over at me. "You do realise that you brought this upon yourself, don't you." He said.

I nodded grudgingly. "That makes it worse."

I sighed, looking over at Fang.

"Thanks for getting me."

He looked into my eyes.

"Did you seriously think that I wouldn't get you? I can't live without you, Max. You're everything to me."

I blushed and looked away.

"Thanks for staying with me. I would have lost it completely if you hadn't been there." I said.

"I couldn't leave your side. I was worried sick Max. I thought-" His voice choked up.

"At one point, I thought I was going to lose you. You wouldn't believe how scared I was."

"I'm sorry Fang. I'm sorry I did this to you." I smirked. "At least we got away from Anne."

He didn't smile, just looked back at me. I couldn't help noticing the wonderful little things about him. The way he flipped his hair out of his face. His smirk, his- _What are you doing Max! Get a hold of yourself._

I shook the thoughts from my mind, but they kept coming back.

I had to admit it. Fang was _extremely_ attractive.

I flicked my head when a strand of my fringe fell in my face. **Yes. In my mind Max had a fringe. Or she does in this story at least. (In my mind her fringe is the same as mine. Explanations later.**

Fang leaned closer and picked up a strand of my hair.

"Your hair is darker." He stated.

"Really?" I said, mentally cheering.

When I was little I'd had really light brown hair, with sun streaks. My hair had gotten darker as I'd gotten older, and at the age of 12 I started wanting black hair.

It stopped getting darker at about 13, and the sun streaks were faint. It was a deep brown colour.

I picked up a strand of it.

Oh yeah. I was almost black now. I frowned. Like two days ago my hair was a normal brown.

Hair doesn't change this quickly.

I mentally shrugged.

My fringe really needed cutting anyway. It was down past my chin now. I had a side swept fringe (swept to the right.) which covered part of my eye. I was at risk of it growing out if I didn't cut it soon. I'd had this fringe since I was about 11, and I still loved it. **This is the story of my hair by the way. It was really light, and now it's almost black. **

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little black shape dart in the door and leap onto me.

"Max!" Total cried, licking my face madly.

I winced.

**Yes, in my mind Total was always there. I just didn't mention him though.**

Jason's POV.

The flock had gone into Max's room now, and he could hear them through the wall.

The girl was in the corner.

He gulped and asked the question that Iggy had told him to.

"What's your name?"

The girl smiled. "Tell them my name is Emily. They've met me before, when I was alive."

"Where did you meet?"

"We met just after Max killed Ari. Outside the school in New York. Fang tried to make me stick with them, but I didn't. I wish I had. I was captured a few months after, and I died on that table in the school that you were touching."

**Dun dun dunddundudundundudnudnud. I would carry it on here, but I have to stop. (huge sorry).**

**Fly on – Raven.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys. I have a question, would swearing be okay in this story or do you guys not want it?**

**Onwards!**

Max's POV.

"So take this every….." I accidentally tuned out from what Dr Martinez was saying. It was later the same day that I woke up, and Dr Martinez had to urgently visit her mother who was ill or something like that.

So she was leaving Ella here with us and would be gone for… I don't even know.

"Bye then." She said, and I snapped back to attention.

I was sitting on my bed, Fang crossed legged next to me, and now Dr Martinez leaned down to hug me and I hesitantly hugged her back.

Surprisingly, she did the same to Fang, and then slipped a piece of paper into his hoodie pocket, smiling at me before leaving.

I turned to him. "What did she put in your pocket?"

"Nothing." He smirked, leaning back.

I narrowed my eyes and tried to grab it but he dodged me. Damn.

"Plllleeeaaassseee." I whined, resorting to the age old tactic of just being annoying on purpose.

He smirked cheekily. "It's a list of things I can't let you do."

My eyes narrowed. "What?" My voice was icy.

He nodded and couldn't resist a grin before whipping it out of his pocket and reading it.

"How dare you Fang! You can't tell me what to do!" I moved to grab it with my wounded arm and winced.

He grinned, pointing to the sheet. "Tsk tsk. Number 5, no sudden movements with her injured shoulder."

I snatched it off him quickly and read it.

_Fang. Here's a list of things you can't let Max do and some things that she should do:_

_1: Don't let her walk. Keep an eye on her, knowing her she'll probably break that rule._

I gasped, stung.

_2: Don't let her hold anything with the arm connected to her wounded shoulder, and make sure she keeps it in a sling._

_3:Don't let her fly or extend her wounded wing._

_4: Maybe lock her bedroom door and/or window. _

_5: No sudden movements with her wounded shoulder._

_6: Don't let her use to much energy. No matter what she says, she's still in a LOT of pain and is very easily tired out._

Yeah. I agree with that one. I was tired just from grabbing this damn paper.

_7: Make sure she takes…._

I stopped reading here, losing interest.

I shoved the sheet back at Fang, grinning.

"You might as well put a title above it: "Thing's Max is definitely going to do."" I said snarkily just to annoy him.

It worked, apparently. "Max! Seriously, you can't do these things, you'll be screwed up for life."

I snorted. "Thanks." I scoffed.

I swung my legs over the bed.

"What are you doing?"

I turned around and smirked at him. "It didn't say I couldn't hop. So I'm gonna hop."

Before he could say anything I jumped off the bed and started hopping to the door.

_This certainly takes a lot of energy. Well, that's one rule broken. _

When I reached the door, pausing for breath and leaning slightly on the doorway for support, Fang moved to block my way.

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, aren't you Mr Overprotective today." I said sarcastically.

He ignored my sarcasm.

"Fang! I'm not an invalid! Move!"

He hesitated and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Only if I carry you down the stairs."

I groaned. "Fang! That's so-" I stopped quickly when I saw Gazzy down the hallway. No need for him to pick up things like that.

Fang smirked at me. "So what Max?" He said loudly and held a hand to his ear and Gazzy came closer.

"So…. annoying." I said. No need to have a swearing eight year old.

While Fang was unfocused I pushed past him and madly but speedily hopped to the stairs, only to be picked up just as I reached the top.

"Fang!" I squealed, hitting his back.

He set me down at the bottom and helped me balance.

"Fang! I could have done that! I'm not a cripple!"

"Well, Max, you kind of are a cripple at the moment."

I groaned, shaking my head and going to the kitchen and muttering a silent prayer as I opened the fridge… to find It FULL, and I mean FULL of food.

I licked my lips as I tried to decide what to eat first, pulling out about 5 ready meals.

Fang raised his eyebrows.

"I haven't eaten for about a week and a half!" I said defensively.

He took them off me. "I'll do them."

"But they're ready meals."

"You almost made out microwave explode last time, Max. I'm not taking any chances."

Yeah. That's how bad I am at cooking. Deal with it.

All of a sudden Iggy came rocketing down the stairs.

"Jason! The ghost! It's that girl! The one with wings we met in New York, who refused to come with us! She died and now she's there and Jason says she's angry. He can't see her face, it's all shadowy apparently but she said it's her."

He said this all in a rush.

"What can we do about it?" Fang asked. "Are we supposed to do something here?"

Iggy shrugged. "Jason didn't say anything like that. He just told me that she told him to tell me to tell you about it."

I dropped my head in my hands and yawned. This was really confusing.

"So…. We don't do anything?" I said, yawning again.

Iggy shook his head. "Not yet, at least. I really don't know though." He shrugged.

I massaged my temples. I could feel another headache coming on.

_Oh god please no. _ I thought, remembering my brain attacks.

The microwave binged and Fang brought out my first ready meal which I devoured in about 20 seconds.

Iggy plonked himself down in the chair next to me.

"How are you feeling Max?" He asked gently.

"Fine, I guess." I am the biggest liar ever.

"Really?" He said, his voice sarcastic yet doubtful.

I nodded, and then realised that Iggy couldn't see it and added a "Yep."

He shook his head and took an apple from the fruit bowl on the table. He took a bite and said:" You're such a liar." with his mouthful.

4 ready meals later I was finally full, and I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes.

Jason apparently had been experimented on so that his body would correct itself no matter what was done to it, and healing, so his messed up paw and metal claw hands had gone, and he was normal now.

Well, physically normal.

I yawned and opened my eyes again, stretching and then remembering my wounded shoulder too late, wincing.

"So, what are we gonna do with this Jason thing?" I asked tiredly, my headache still thumping away.

Iggy shrugged. "I guess all we can do is ask Jason to.." He trailed off and went upstairs, to get Jason I assumed.

I was right, a minute later Iggy returned with Jason, who hugged me tightly, squeezing as he did so.

"Hey Jason… aah don't squeeze to tight."

He let go of me.

"Jason?" I asked tentatively.

He nodded.

"Can you ask…" I trailed off, not remembering the name.

"Emily." He suggested.

"Can you ask Emily how we can help her?"

He nodded and looked over my shoulder, addressing something there apparently.

I shuddered, creeped out. Whatever he was seeing was stood just behind me.

He nodded and turned back to me.

"She says that Max has to go to California."

I looked over to Fang and our eyes met, and I could tell that he was just as confused as me, and that he wouldn't let me go alone.

"Why?" I asked Jason.

He looked over my shoulder again and I shuddered, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I twisted my head to look, and squinted, just seeing a very faint outline of a person.

I looked back at Fang alarmed, and I could see that he hadn't seen anything. He probably noticed that I'd seen something though.

"She says she always wanted to go to the beach there at night. It would help her move on if you went."

I looked questioningly at Fang and he shrugged, clearly as confused as me.

"She's gone." Jason said, looking back at me. "But just before she went she said good luck Max."

He went back upstairs, to Gazzy I think, and I sat there all confused.

I'd heard those words being faintly whispered just a second before he repeated them.

I frowned, rubbing my head. I did _not _want to be clairvoyant or whatever it was called.

"Just forget about it Max. "Iggy said gently.

"Yeah, worry some other time, let's go watch TV." Fang chipped in, knowing I needed distracting, and he gave me a look that said: "Later, we talk."

I hopped over into the living room and sat down on one of the comfortable sofas. Fang sat next to me, and I yawned again.

"Tired?" He asked, and I shook my head stubbornly.

I don't even know what we were watching, or listening to in Iggy's case. I was dropping off slowly and I pulled my legs up onto the sofa and getting comfortable.

At some point I ended up with my head on Fang's shoulder and then I drifted to sleep, a deep dreamless sleep.

Fang's POV.

I could see that Max was exhausted, yet she was too stubborn to admit it.

When we were watching TV I could see that she was fighting to stay awake, and as she made herself comfortable on the sofa I could only wonder how she hadn't fell asleep yet.

Then she leaned her head on my shoulder. I froze at first, and then quickly adjusted so that she was more comfortable.

After about a minuite I felt the subtle relaxing of her muscles which meant that she was asleep.

I looked outside the window. It was about 7 pm.

After a bit of silence Iggy spoke up.

"Is Max asleep yet?"

"Yeah."

He chuckled. "I was wondering how long it would take."

Total came trotting in. "Hey guys!" He said loudly and I shushed him.

"What?" He said, clearly offended.

I motioned to Max. "She like _just _fell asleep."

"Oh." Total said quietly and jumped up onto my lap, making himself comfortable.

"You sure are Mr Overprotective today, aren't you?" He said, his words an eerie echo of Max's earlier ones.

I shrugged.

A couple of hours later I started to yawn and I nudged Total who got off my lap grudgingly, muttering angrily.

I stretched and then picked up Max as I stood, so I was carrying her bridal style.

"You love her, don't you?" Iggy said. I froze.

"I know, Fang." He said. "You may as well admit it."

I ignored him. "See you tomorrow, yeah. I'm beat."

He nodded, smirking.

I carried Max up the stairs. She was so _light. _I was still extremely worried about her and had been watching her like a Hawk ever since she woke up. I noticed she was getting a bad headache, from the way she rubbed her head.

Also I think she might be like Jason. I saw that when she twisted her head around, and looked back at me in alarm, I saw fear in her eyes.

I've known Max for my whole life. I've never been without her. We can read each other's looks we know each other so well.

I placed her gently in her bed, pulling the covers over her and I jumped onto my makeshift bed.

Max automatically adjusted her sleeping position and I smiled.

Where I lay on the floor next to her bed, I could see her face, which was turned towards me.

Her hair was darker, and I swear her blonde streaks were brighter. She looked so beautiful with the moonlight illuminating her relaxed expression. She looked so peaceful in sleep.

Her brow suddenly knit into s slight frown and she felt her pillow with her good arm.

"Fang." She muttered. I froze.

She snuggled deep into her pillow and then went silent, and I fell asleep looking at her face.

Jason's POV.

"Jason." The whisper woke him. He sat up in bed to see Emily at the doorway.

"What?" He whispered back, slightly scared.

"You need to get Max to do what I told her to. You HAVE to." She said.

"Why?" He asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. "It's only California."

"Okay. I've been lying to you all Jason. The flock needs to get out of here now."

"What?"

"Tomorrow morning tell them that I went to the school, and overheard white coats saying they were coming here in a couple of days. Tell them to go to California, it's the only place I can manifest myself so that they can see me."

He nodded.

Emily's POV.

She grinned. It was all falling into place. Stupid bird kids.

**Whoa, that was long. I felt like rewarding all you cool people who reviewed out there, so here it issss.**

**Would you guys be ok if I had some swearing in this story? Would that be fine? No? Yes? Maybe? Definitely? No way?**

**Fly on- Raven**


	14. Chapter 14

**Yo. Sorry I haven't really updated recently, on Thursday I didn't have any time because I was cleaning my room then on Friday I saw Catching Fire after school with some friends (Seriously, go see it. IT'S THE BEST FILM EVER!) and then they slept at my house and Saturday… Oh well. You probably don't care. You're probably not even reading this. By now you've probably just skipped on to the next chapter. I don't blame you.**

**Onwards!**

Max POV.

I woke with a start.

_Just a dream. Just a dream._

I screwed my eyes tight shut. _I'm not back there. I'm safe._

I've been having nightmares about the school for years, but I'd just had a brand new one. I shivered.

After a very very awkward shower, it was very hard to shower while standing on one leg and only able to lift one hand, you know, I flopped back onto my bed.

"Max?" I heard Fang say softly from the door.

I lifted my head and blearily looked up.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want anything? Iggy's cooking."

That woke me up.

After a repeat of how I got downstairs yesterday (but with more resisting on my part) I sat heavily onto a kitchen chair.

Jason came down the stairs looking nervous.

I mentally braced myself. I knew that Gazzy had been with him all the time and had probably taught him some pretty nasty tricks.

"Um, Max?" He said walking up next to me.

I nodded cautiously.

"Emily was talking to me." I looked over to Fang and our gazes met. " and she said that you all have to get out of here. She said that she was hanging around at the school and overheard them saying they'd tracked Max."

I felt my eyes widen and saw a look of horror in Fang's eyes that I'm sure were reflected in mine.

"She said she heard them saying that Max's chip led them here, and they were sending Erasers."

Fang walked up to Jason, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you absolutely sure?" He asked, his tone deadly serious.

Jason nodded gravely.

We were all silent. Nudge and Angel looked at each other and Gazzy moved closer to Iggy.

Fang looked back at me over his shoulder.

I stood up.

"Ig, Fang, come here please." I said, hopping to the next room.

"And, Max." Jason added. I tensed up.

"Yeah?" I said without looking around.

"She said that you had to go that beach on California because it was the only place she could manifest enough for all of you to see."

I screwed my eyes tight shut, inhaling deeply. "Ok." I said calmly.

Fang shut the door when we were in the next room.

"What do we do?" He asked, turning to me.

I rubbed my aching shoulder, wincing. "I think maybe we should go."

Iggy looked up. "But what about Ella?"

Damn! I forgot about Ella. Dr Martinez left her here with us. We couldn't drag her out of here and risk her life. What if it was a trap? But if it wasn't a trap, we couldn't leave her here to die.

Or worse.

I made eye contact with Fang and all of these thoughts passed between us in a second.

"I think we go." I said. "It's not worth risking it. We can always drop Ella off with Dr Martinez."

"But Max, you can't fly yet." Fang said.

Oh yeah.

"I'll be fine." I said noncommittally, moving towards the door.

"Max." Fang said, blocking my way. "You can't even extend your wing."

"I can." I scoffed. Honesty isn't really a popular thing with me.

He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, Max. We can't let you get worse just because you think you can fly." Iggy chipped in.

Ok then. I had to try extending my wing now. It was a challenge to me.

I gritted my teeth and shook out my good arm, getting ready.

"No Max don't-" Fang began, but I cut him off with an icy glare.

I looked down and began trying to move my wing. It moved. It hurt, but I could move it.

I balled my hands into fists and shakily and slowly extended it, every movement sending agony down my shoulder.

I stopped when my wing was hallway extended, catching my breath, and then I soldered on until my wing was full extended, brushing the edge of the room.

I looked up at Fang. "See. I told you." I hope he couldn't see how much this was hurting me.

"I can see how much that's hurting you, Max. Drop the act." How did he- never mind.

I looked at my wing and frowned. It was a very dark brown. My wings had always been a light brown with white spots.

Never mind. That didn't matter.

"We're going. Whether I have to crawl or walk or whatever, I'm not risking all your lives just because of this."

Fang shook his head, rolling his eyes. "You can't even stand, Max." He said, motioning to the way I had been leaning heavily on the wall this whole time.

"I don't care." I said evenly, looking into his eyes. They were such a dark brown that if you didn't really know, you could assume that they were black.

I loved his eyes. I thought as I stared up into them. Fang was just so _tall._

I loved that too.

Fang's POV.

I shut the door. We were getting the hell out of here.

The flock was getting ready to take off, Iggy holding Ella ** You guys want Eggy? Niggy? **And Nudge holding Jason who was so light that she had absolutely no problem whatsoever. Even Max had lifted him with one arm.

I was going to carry Max. After a loooong argument, she'd been too tired to carry on and I'd won.

I picked Max up smoothly and she squeaked, making me smirk.

She was so light that I had no problem as we all took off.

We flew for what seemed like ages, though it was probably only around and hour, and landed outside where Dr Martinez was staying.

Everyone but Max and I had gone to walk her to her house (We'd landed a while away so that we wouldn't be seen.)

Max had settled down on the ground with her back against a tree, we were in a forest, and closed her eyes.

I sighed, gently laying myself next to her, and tipping my head back to look at the tops of the trees, and just catch a glimpse of the sky through the thick canopy.

"Fang." Max said, saying it like a question.

"uh huh?"

"Can we get my Ipod?"

I looked at her to see her already looking at me.

I nodded. "When should we and….. where is it?"

She thought for a few seconds. "Tonight, when we've set up camp somewhere."

I nodded. She was so beautiful. I was going to say something, but it was soon forgotten.

Her Ipod (and headphones) were very important to her.

She'd got her ipod for her twelfth birthday and the headphones for her thirteenth. Jeb had given her the Ipod, and I gave her the headphones.

I'd spent ages finding the type which had the best sound quality and looked the coolest. I'd ended up with some kick-ass purple headphones.

When I'd given them to Max, it was so worth it. He face had lit up and she'd hugged me super hard.

When she'd stressed, her music calms her down. When she's angry it spurs her on. When she feels weak it gives her courage. Music is her life. **This is basically how much I love listening to music (and then some.) **When she needs to get geared up for a fight, music gives her adrenaline.

It's the only way she can escape sometimes.

And why do I know this? Because it's the same for me.

Max's POV.

I woke in the middle of the night.

I had my Ipod back. Fang and I had gone to find it earlier.

Ugh. I really wish I hadn't tried to extend my wing yesterday. I was really paying for it now. My shoulder was just one mass of pain, and it spread all down my arm and to my neck.

I lifted my head blearily, looking around. Everyone was still asleep.

I looked the other way. Fang lay about a metre away from me. He was awake.

I crawled over to him and lay on my back looking up at the beautiful night's sky through the canopy.

I loved forests.

I looked at Fang. "Have you slept?"

He shook his head.

I yawned. "Why not?" My voice was a whisper.

He shrugged.

I started rubbing my shoulder, hoping to ease the pain, and then instantly stopped when my touch sent even more pain down it, hoping that Fang didn't see. I don't want to hold him back.

"Are you okay?" Fang asked me gently.

I nodded.

"I don't believe you."

I looked up at him. He was gazing down at me, his dark eyes unreadable.

I smirked. "I'm a lot stronger than you think."

He smiled. "I know just how strong you are, Max. You don't have to hide your pain all the time."

I didn't know how to reply to that, so I just stayed silent, looking back towards the inky midnight sky.

I shivered as a freezing gust of wind brushed over me, giving me goose bumps.

Fang sat up, shrugging off his jacket and gently draping it over me.

"Won't you be cold?" I asked, staring into his midnight black eyes.

He shook his head, smirking. "I'm a big boy, I'll live."

He lay back down next to me and we were silent for a while. I snuggled into Fang's jacket, deeply inhaling Fang's comforting smell.

After a while I was drifting off into sleep. Suddenly I was aware of a pair of arms around me, but I felt no alarm. I opened my eyes blearily to see Fang holding me.

Instead of pulling away, I simply put my head onto his chest and fell asleep.

**Oooh, a bit of Fax. Sorry guys, I'm not very good at writing "romantic" stuff. Sorry for not updating for so long.**

**-Raven.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Omg! I'm putting up 2 chapters in the same night! Wow! Chapter 14 was really long and took me like two days but I felt like writing so…. 2 in one night.**

**Onwards….**

Fang's POV

We lay there for a while, and then Max seemed to drift off, snuggling deeper into my jacket.

She was so beautiful, just lying there. I think her shoulder was paining her.

I shivered. Now I half wished that I hadn't given Max my jacket, but oh well.

I yawned.

I could feel myself drifting off. In my half asleep state I wasn't really thinking, and I just…. Went for it. I wrapped my arms around Max, pulling her closer.

We fit together perfectly.

She looked up tiredly, and saw me holding her. I froze, thinking she was going to pull away. Instead she just put her head on my chest, getting comfortable. After about two seconds I felt the subtle relaxing of her muscles meaning that she was asleep.

We fit together perfectly. I know I already said it, but it was uncanny…..

Like we were made for each other.

I lay my head down and fell asleep.

Max POV.

_I was shoved into a cage, my wounded shoulder slamming into the bars and my foot whacking the cage door._

_Jeb stared at me from the entrance._

"_Only you can save the world." He said, stalking off._

_Suddenly I was on a metal table, strapped onto it. I was on my back, looking up._

_I tried to get out, thrashing and screaming. Jeb appeared, his eyes burning intensely into mine._

"_Stop, Max." His voice echoed. "Just relax." _

_Suddenly I was in intense pain, in every part of my body. I screamed and then the scene changed._

_I was on a different table now, and it was a similar scene. Except in this one I couldn't move at all. I could only observe as Jeb materialised in front of me, holding a syringe._

_He nodded at me. "Stay calm." He said his voice neutral. "You know what to do." The head of the body I was in moved in a nod. I had no control. It felt kind of like a vision._

"_Make sure they do it." Jeb said, before plunging the syringe into my neck._

_The world fragmented around me and I was in another place. Fang was holding me as he flew, when all of a sudden the worst pain I'd ever experienced went crashing through my skull. I screamed and bucked in Fang's grasp, rolling out of him arms._

_Please go splat please go splat. I begged as I fell. My hands were around my head and I just wanted it to be over. Suddenly I felt strong arms around me. Fang. _

"_Let me fall." I screamed._

_He didn't. Tears were pouring down my cheeks._

"_Max." His voice was concerned._

"_Let me fall!" I yelled. My voice echoed around me._

"_Max." Fang said, his intense gaze burning into mine._

"_Wake up."_

My eyes flew open.

"It was just a dream Max. It's okay." Fang's voice was soft and comforting.

I buried my head in his chest and tried not to cry.

He rubbed the spot between my wings soothingly. "It's okay, I've got you. I'll protect you." He said and I hugged him tightly, tears still falling down my cheeks.

I pulled away, breathless.

"Max, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. His face was really close to mine now.

I rubbed my eyes, sitting up.

"I'm fine." I chocked out.

He sat up also. "You don't sound very fine."

I looked into his eyes. "I dreamt I was at the school. Jeb was there and then…then my head was hurting and.." I didn't know what to say.

His eyes softened. "Oh, Max." He pulled me into a tight hug and I almost broke down again. He put his chin on top of my head and I could feel his jaw move when he spoke.

"Was I there?" He asked me gently.

I nodded against his chest.

"What….. was I doing?"

I spoke into his chest, my voice muffled. "You were flying and holding me and then my head….. It was like one of my brain attacks but 100 times worse. I fell and you grabbed me and you wouldn't let me fall…" My voice trailed off.

"I would never let you fall, Max."

"I wanted to fall." I said.

"What?" 

"I wanted to fall." I repeated. "I just wanted it to be over."

We were silent then. We just sat there quietly, holding each other.

Emily's POV.

She saw them hug and then talk for a while before lapsing into silence.

Her fists clenched.

_It'll be over soon._ She thought to herself. _You'll be back soon._

It was true. Soon she would be back. Soon she would triumph over all. It wasn't long now.

She just hoped they didn't take too long to get there.

She would tell Jason to get them to hurry up….. she'd say… she'd say that her spirit was fading, and they needed to get to the beach fast.

She smiled to herself. What a great idea. Jason would believe her. They would all believe him. _Idiots._ She thought.

Soon it would be over. They would be screwed while she was just coming back to life.

She just needed them at the beach. Soon.

They were putty in her hands.

**Dun dun dun. Pleaseeeee review guys. All criticism is welcomed. **

**Fly on.**

**-Raven.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated recently, I've just had loads of school stuff and writers block and djisonfudsmkcfvhhhdsijokwpemjnc xkm. I feel really awful because you guys have taken the time to read and review and I haven't really rewarded you. Don't kill me pleaseeeeeeeeee.**

**Onwards?**

Max POV.

We parted, and sat in front of the fire, which we were desperately trying to revive.

It was earlyish morning, I didn't have a clue what time it was, and the flock started slowly waking up.

When everybody was up and ready I started wondering whether we should actually go to this beach.

I turned to Fang to see him already looking at me.

"Do you think we should go to the beach? Might be a trap."

"I don't know." He said. "But why would she have something against us? We tried to help her, and she refused."

I nodded. "So we'll go." I said hesitantly. I had a bad feeling, like there was danger waiting for us on that beach.

He noticed my unwillingness. "We don't have to, Max."

I opened my mouth to reply when Jason came running over. "Max! Emily says that you guys have to get to the beach fast! She says that he spirit is fading or something like that, and we have to get there as soon as we can."

I looked over at Fang, and we made eye contact for two seconds. The look on his face said that it was up to me.

"Lets go then." I said, making a snap decision I had a feeling I'd regret.

I raised my voice. "Hey, guys!" The flock looked over at me. "We're leaving for the beach, now."

They all stood up and got ready, Iggy picking up Jason to carry, and Nudge taking Iggy's rucksack for him.

I began attempting to stand when I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up to see Fang looking down at me. God, he was tall. He shook his head, and leaned past me to pick up his leather jacket where It'd been left on the floor.

While he wasn't looking I decided to stand up anyway, and managed to balance on one foot for literally half a second before I fell, only to be caught by strong hands.

"For god's sake Max, can't you just do what I ask?" I smirked and shrugged with my good shoulder.

"I think I can fly though."

I didn't really think I could fly, but I'd rather struggle than have to be looked after and carried like a child.

"Max, Dr Martinez said you shouldn't even be able to extend your wing for three, maybe two weeks."

I extended my good wing.

He took on a mocking tone. "Well, Max, you're good at flying at all, but I don't think you can fly with one wing."

I laughed and hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Sure I can."

Turns out I couldn't.

But one thing that was weird was that my wings were black. Yeah, you heard me. Black. Like Fang's. But there were light brown speckles, so it looked like somebody had got a paintbrush, dipped it in brown paint, and flicked it at my wing so that the paint splattered. The "splats" weren't everywhere, though. They were splattered all over my wing all the way to my shoulder. It was the same on the other wing, and Fang said that from the back it was the same.

My hair was black, too. I picked up a strand and was pleased. I was kind of worried though, had they done something at the school to make this happen?

I shrugged it off as we lifted off, Fang carrying me.

We were flying in front, Fang holding me in his strong arms. Nudge and Iggy were flying behind us with Iggy carrying Jason, and the three of them chatted animatedly about something. Next to and a bit behind them Gazzy and Angel were flying next to each other, talking quietly.

I looked up at Fang.

**Flashback.**

I was 13, and it was Christmas. The flock had all gone to bed, and had just left me to put up the tree and decorate it and everything.

Grumpily, I sat on the floor and put the tree together. Jeb had bought it for us when he got us out of the school, and it went up every Christmas. It was December the… 13th or 14th. I'd left it quite late this year.

I'd stood up the tree, and I pulled over the big box of decorations we'd collected over the years we'd been here.

I stretched and yawned, annoyed that I had to do this alone.

I pulled out the lights to discover that they were completely tangled. I sighed and fetched the laptop, pulling it over and putting on some music.

After what felt like hours, the lights were untangled and I stood up to put them on the tree.

"Need any help?" A soft voice asked. I whipped my head around to see Fang standing _right_ behind me. I

"Oh my god Fang, please stop walking quietly. Make noise when you move!"

He smirked. "Want any help or not?"

I sighed and nodded. "Hold these for one second." I said, thrusting the lights at him and lying on the floor in front of my laptop so that I could change the song, putting on LRAD by Knife Party **A/N: This song is amazing. Knife party are amazing. Amazing. **

When that song finished, Fang chose the next song, and it went like that, until the lights were done.

"Now for the actual decorations." I said, looking proudly at how well we'd put the lights up.

It was my turn to change the song, so I put on Bromance, Arena Mix by Avicii. Avicii is the best DJ EVER. EVER. I had heard every song of his, and I knew that he used to write songs under his real name, Tim Berg, and then went by the name Avicii, and that the arena mix of Bromance was Avicii remixing a song he'd written earlier.

So yeah.

We just decorated and had fun, joking and winding each other up. I felt carefree and happy for once. I had no worries, and I'd never been this consciously aware of how happy I was. It was probably the happiest moment of my short, messed up life.

I stepped back, letting down my ponytail and shaking my hair into it's normal position. We were finally done with the tree.

I went to stand next to Fang as we both looked at our tree with pride, and I don't mean to boast, but it was amazingly decorated.

I looked up at him and we high fived, smiling at each other. I didn't know what I was doing, but I suddenly pulled him into a hug. He stiffened for a second unsurprisingly, he wasn't exactly the most cuddly person. But then he relaxed, putting his arms around me as I rested my head on his shoulder, noticing for the first time that he was getting taller than me.

**End of flashback.**

Fang looked down at me, smiling. "What are you thinking about?" He asked, probably noticing the faraway look in my eyes.

"When we decorated the tree last Christmas." I said, and his eyes lit up with the happy memory.

He opened his mouth to say something else when the most intense pain I'd ever felt, and that was saying something, knifed into my skull, making me scream and grab my head, scrunching my eyes shut.

I bucked violently and kicked Fang until he dropped me. I wanted to go splat. _Make it stop make it stop make it stop._ Was the thought pulsing through my head like the beat of a drum. _Go splat, make it be over soon._

I screamed as the pain intensified even more, and felt strong arms grab me, and my falling ceased.

"Let me fall!" I yelled, still clutching my head. I opened my eyes and say Fang above, looking down at me. But it didn't look like a person, just a blurry balloon. My eyes were completely unfocused and I just saw shaped, blurry dots smeared across a canvas.

"LET ME FALL!" I screamed when it didn't end.

"Max." Fang's voice floated through the darkness and pain. "Max just hold on. You'll be fine, just hold on."

"Just let me go Fang, please!" I sobbed, tears falling down my cheeks. I was in too much pain to even care that I was crying in front of everyone.

"Max!" My ears dimly registered his voice. "I'm not letting you go."

My eyes focused for one second and I saw Fang above me, his face a mixture of extreme pain, horror and pure worry.

A hot pulse of even stronger pain stabbed through my head, and I had enough time to let out a piercing scream before my vision faded from the edges inwards, so the last thing I saw was Fang's face hovering above me before I passed out.

Fang's POV.

We were flying quietly, not talking. I had her in my arms.

I looked down at her to see a faraway, dreamy look in her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, smiling.

"When we decorated the tree last Christmas." She said, and I smiled broadly at the memory. It had been the happiest time of my life. I was calm and relaxed, all my worries gone, and I remember noticing it doing good for Max too.

I remember most clearly when we were standing back, inspecting our beautiful tree when she pulled me into a warm hug.

I opened my mouth to say something about how well we decorated the tree when she suddenly screamed, lifting her hands to cover her head.

_Oh god, it's one of her brain attacks. _I thought they'd finally stopped!

I was looking for a good place to land when she bucked violently and kicked me, _**hard,**_ making me unintentionally drop her.

She fell fast, cutting through the air like an arrow. I could barely breath for worry as I knifed into a sharp dive, pulling in my wings. My heart was hammering in overdrive as I panicked.

I grabbed her and opened my wings sharply, wincing slightly as we jerked upwards.

"Let me fall!" she yelled, her words cutting fear deep inside me. I don't think I'd ever been this scared, and considering what I'd been through, that really said something. She opened her eyes, and they were completely unfocused, her pupils like pinpricks.

"LET ME FALL!" She screamed as loud as she could, her words cutting deep.

"Max." I said, trying to keep my words calm, hoping she could hear me. "It's okay, just hold on, you'll be fine, just hold on."

"Just let me go Fang, please!" She sobbed, tears pouring down her face, her words ripping my heart open.

"Max!" I said, panic now showing vividly in my voice. "I'm not letting you go!" Maybe I said it a little too harshly. But I just didn't care.

Her pupils suddenly grew and her eyes focused, and we made eye contact for a precious few seconds before she screamed, the scream slicing my heart open like a knife.

Then she passed out.

I panicked completely and landed quickly, the rest of the flock landing behind me.

I quickly lowered Max to the ground and checked her pulse. It was pounding away _way_ to fast, but it was there. I checked she was breathing which she was.

Iggy stepped forward, crouching beside me.

I moved aside so that he could maybe find out what had happened. He ran his fingers all over her head and face, and leaned back after a while, shaking his head.

"I can't feel anything."

"Is Max okay?"

I turned around to see an Angel with tears in her eyes, looking scared out of her mind.

"I think so." I said. "I think it was just one of her brain attacks, just a little worse than usual."

She shook her head, tears starting to pour down her cheeks. "I read her mind, Fang. I read her mind. All she wanted was for you to drop her, or kill her or whatever. She wanted it to stop, and she didn't care how." Angel said, sobbing.

Iggy's POV. **We haven't done him in a while.**

Fang and I sat by the campfire later. The rest of the flock had fallen asleep, and Max still hadn't woken up.

"Was it really just one of her brain attacks?" I said, wondering aloud to Fang.

"I don't know, man. I asked her about her brain attacks and she didn't say that they were that bad. Angel has never reacted like that either."

I nodded. "Do you think it's linked to her being at the school recently?" I said quietly, not wanting to wake up the flock.

"I think so." He said, pure dread showing in his voice.

I heard footsteps all of a sudden, and tensed up, but then a familiar soft voice came floating out of the darkness.

"Fang, Iggy?" Jason said, standing somewhere directly in front of us, close. We were in a wood again, and I could sort of make a map of my surroundings based on how and where his voice echoed.

"Uh-huh?" Fang said, his voice patient. I waited for the "I can't sleep." Or "I'm hungry", but instead, he said something a lot worse.

"When Emily was helping me out of the school, I had a pain like Max's, in my head. I don't think it was as bad though. I screamed and fell to my knees, and when it faded I could see Emily." He said, and then I heard his footsteps retreating.

"I think Max has developed one or more new powers." I said.

"We're thinking the same thing." Fang said, a slight anomaly in his voice.

**That was a looong chapter.**

**********IMPORTANT********* Do you guys want Nudge and Iggy to get together, or maybe Iggy and Ella?**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey. So… here's the update.**

**Onwards!**

Max's POV.

I hazily swam to consciousness, drowsily opening my eyes, which took a few seconds to focus.

I blearily lifted my head to see Fang sitting next to me, watching.

When he saw I was awake, pure relief showed on his face, and he offered me a bar of chocolate, which I gratefully accepted while dragging myself into s crumpled sitting position.

My head felt hazy and headachy, and I lifted a hand to rub it. "What happened?" I asked Fang, tiredness showing in my voice.

He raised his eyebrows. "You really don't remember?"

I shook my head while biting into the chocolate bar, which was probably the best thing I'd ever tasted. Just FYI.

"What's the last thing you remember?" He asked cautiously, as if dreading the answer.

"Um…" I though back. "I remember…. Flying. Yeah, you were carrying me. And we were talking about Christmas and then….." I broke off, disorientated, trying to remember.

I suddenly gasped as it all came crashing back. My head, the pain, me screaming at Fang to drop me, it all raced back, shattering any peace of mind that I'd had.

I looked up at Fang. "How long have I been out?"

He grimaced. "Two and a half days."

I gasped, my jaw practically hitting the floor. "Two _days?_" I said in utter disbelief. Fang just nodded.

"Did you think I was dead?" I blurted out suddenly after a bit of silence.

I saw pain in his eyes as he spoke. "I don't know what I thought, Max. I was just so scared." He said, his voice cracking slightly.

Without thinking I pulled him into a hug and we gripped each other tightly, locked in each other's embrace.

After a couple minutes of hugging, the silence was shattered by shouting voices.

"Max! Max, you're awake! You're awake!" I heard little voices shout, and I pulled regretfully away from Fang, half of me wishing I could stay in his arms forever.

I only had a second to prepare myself before Angel came crashing into me, hugging me with a death grip.

"Hey, Ange." I had to choke out, she was squeezing me so hard. She released me from her death grip and stepped back, smiling.

Both Nudge and Gazzy hugged me at the same time, I was being crushed.

"Guys," I choked out. "Not so hard." They let me go, smiling. I ruffled Gazzy's hair.

"Hey."

I looked up to see Iggy standing behind Gazzy, next to Jason.

We all hugged and had a very happy….I guess you can call it a reunion. Sort of.

Fang said that there was no point setting out today, we'd only have to stop in a couple of hours and that I needed more rest. I protested, but he was right. Just these small movements sapped my energy away. Both of my bullet wounds were throbbing and I couldn't move my foot at all.

I didn't tell Fang any of this though. No need to make him worry.

-Time Skip-

Later that night, the flock was asleep apart from Iggy, Fang and I. I was trying to stay awake, and only half succeeding. I was next to Fang, half- leaning on him. I think he knew I was falling asleep, but didn't make me lie down or anything.

I was looking at the campfire we had blazing when a dark figure appeared in front of it. I sat bolt upright, shocked to the core. It was roughly my height, staring down at me. It was just a mass of black in the shape of a human.

"Max?" Fang said questioningly, and as he spoke, the figure disappeared.

"Max?" He said again, looking at me with concern.

I just shook my head. "I was half asleep and I thought I saw something. Forget it."

I wasn't convincing myself, let alone Fang, but he let it go and I leaned my head on his shoulder. He hesitantly put an arm around my waist.

Fang and Iggy talked softly and I listened, not bothering to say anything.

Jason stood up from where he'd been lying and came up to us.

"Not again." Fang muttered. I shot him a look, and he told me with his eyes that he'd tell me later.

"Uh, Max?" Jason said, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah?" I said, my voice sleepy.

"Emily said-" _Oh God. _"that you guys have to go to the beach. Now. She says that she was wandering around and spotted some erasers coming this way. She says you have to get to the beach so that she can tell you something super important."

"Leave _now_?"

He nodded.

I looked over at Fang.

"Uh, Jason, can you give us a minute please." He said, and Jason went back to where he had been lying.

"Do we go?" I said, unsure of what to do

Fang shrugged, and so did Iggy. Real helpful guys, thanks.

I closed my eyes to think for a second and drifted into sleep, thoughts all swirling around in my head for two seconds until my body jerked and I woke up.

I opened my eyes to see Fang looking. "You need rest." He said. "You need a break."

"No." I interrupted. "I'm fine. Just a little tired."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sureeee."

I nodded. "I'm telling the truth." He could tell that I was lying. "But, Max, we don't want to have to wake up the flock, do we?"

"I think they'll be fine. It's not that late." I said, thinking it was about 1 in the morning. Trust me , for me that's not actually that late.

He looked at his watch. "Nine 'O clock. I guess you're right."

Why was I so tired? It was only nine! Something was wrong with me.

-Time Skip-

We lifted off, flying high at cloud level to avoid being spotted.

I was finding it extremely hard to stay awake in Fang's arms, but I managed for a while.

"Fang?" I asked drowsily, half asleep.

He looked down. "Yeah."

"I'm pretty sure I can fly now."

He shook his head. "Max, not for another week and a half, at _least._"

"But what if we're attacked? You said I can't run either? I'd just be killed." I said, still half asleep.

Fang tensed up. "I'd protect you."

"But what if you couldn't, like, if you couldn't fight your way to me."

"I….. I guess you could try. But only if you _really really had _to. I'll always protect you, Max. You're safe with me."

"Okay then." I simply said, and drifted away into sleep.

Fang's POV.

I don't know why Max was so tired. She was always more of a night person, like me. I remember when Jeb was still with us, he would send us to bed, and then I would go into Max's room, or she would go into mine, and we would mess around, going on the internet on Max's ipod and just generally having fun and being stupid. I know that on the days when that didn't happen, Max would stay up extremely late on her ipod, and that she was never caught by Jeb because she would always just lock it and shove it under the covers, turning away from Jeb and pulling the duvet over her head so that he couldn't see her headphones when he looked into her room.

I used to do the same, and I wasn't caught either. When Jeb left, we would stay downstairs most nights, watching TV and messing around on the computer way into the night.

So basically this was weird. Something was wrong.

Max's POV.

I woke up to somebody shaking me gently.

"Max." Fang said softly. "We're landing now."

I opened my eyes and rubbed them, feeling just as tired as before, if not more.

We touched down on the beach, and the waves lapped onto the shore by the moonlight. It was beautiful.

When we landed, Jason said that Emily said we all have to stand in a circle. I had to lean pretty heavily on Fang, because let me tell you, trying to stay awake and balance on one foot is not easy.

I was still exhausted. Then all of a sudden, all of my energy was sucked away, literally. I fell to my knees, struggling to hold up my head.

"Max?" Voices floated to me, but I only dimly heard them I was vaguely aware of Fang kneeling in front of me and speaking.

Then a bit of energy came back, and I was able to lift my head from where I was now lying in the sand.

Jason, who was standing in front of me, suddenly went rigid.

"She's coming." Was all he whispered.

I struggled to sit up, accepting Fang's help, and then roughly stood, and then fell. Fang caught me and held me up.

"Thanks." I rasped.

Then in the middle of the circle, a figure slowly started to form, from the feet up, revealing the figure of a young girl, around my age. She had black outstretched wings with odd gold splatters, and then her face showed to reveal…. Me.

I was standing in the middle of the circle.

I was staggered.

The me in the circle grinned maliciously, and laughed.

"E- Emily?" Jason said, looking from… _her _to me.

She shook her head. "Emily is dead. She died a long time ago. I'm not her, though. I had you all fooled." She laughed.

"What… but…why?" Fang asked, his voice astounded.

"I was created to get you all back in the school. But I'm a nice person, so I won't do that. But I'm replacing Max." She looked at me, pure hatred in her eyes. "You're useless, a failure. I could lead a thousand times better than you."

Rage flowed into me, bringing energy with it.

"Oh yeah?" I snarled. "Wanna prove it?"

"I will, but not just yet. Because I'm such a good person, I'm gonna give your flock and explanation before I kill you. You see, I was created at the school when you were last there. I'm your clone. They killed me, so that I could come to you and lead you here.

I can materialise now, because I'm using you're energy, Max. I can use yours and yours alone. But I can't come back to life, not until I kill you."

She smiled.

**A/N: This is before the point in book 2 where they discover Max's clone, so they don't know about her or anything.**

Newfound energy flowed through me and I stopped leaning on Fang, managing to stand normally, on my wounded foot.

_Screw it._ I thought, and put my full weight on it, only to fall to the ground with a shout of pain.

She laughed and came striding over to me, grabbing my arm a viciously yanking me upright.

"I want this to be a fun challenge." She said. "It's not as fun if you're wounded, it'll only be boring." With that she grabbed my wounded shoulder and squeezed, hard. I screamed in pain as heat flowed from her hand to my shoulder, and the pain subsided. She did the same with my foot, and then dropped me.

"Stand." She spat down at me.

I stood slowly, cautiously, and when no pain came, faster.

We stood face to face. It was like looking in a mirror.

I slowly extended my wings, delighted to feel no pain. She extended hers, and they were identical, midnight black with gold splatters.

"So." She said.

I kneed her in the stomach, hard.

She looked up, savage rage all over her face.

She lunged at me and tackled me to the sand, trying to put her hands around my throat.

I bucked violently and threw her off, standing up quickly. She stood up too, and we stood, looking at each other for two seconds, before we both attacked.

I gave a vicious roundhouse kick to the chest and she staggered back, regaining her balance and punching me in the face hard.

Insane, savage rage flowed through me and I lifted my hand, igniting a flame in it.

I hadn't really used my new power.

She smiled savagely, lifting her own hand and mirroring my actions.

We ran at each other, and I punched her in the face with a flaming fist. She cried out in horror and grabbed my shoulder, burning it with her grip.

I looked over her shoulder for one second and saw a bunch of erasers restraining the flock, holding them back. Fang was pulling and fighting, but the eraser had him locked in a death grip.

Then I was back in the fight.

I grabbed her shoulders and slammed her down into the sand, putting my flaming hands around her neck. She did the same to me and then we both sprang apart, standing and catching our breath.

I was just so angry. I could feel anger filling up inside me, consuming me.

She ran at me and then was suddenly knocked back by an invisible force, it looked like she'd hit a force field, and she flew (not literally) backwards through the air, chucked about ten meters away from me.

I smiled.

I think I have a new power.

**OoOooOoh. Remember, if I get 5 reviews or more on this chapter I'll update again tonight, so:**

_**Review**_

_**Review**_

_**Review.**_

_**-**_**Raven.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey. Don't forget to vote on my poll on whether you want Eggy or Niggy! I'm really sorry that this took ages to come out I WILL EXPLAIN ALL AFTER THE CHAPTER.**

**Onwardsss!**

Fang's POV.

Max pulled away from me, and before I could grab her, crumpled to the ground with a yell. Emily… I'll just call her Emily, strode up to her and roughly dragged her up.

"I want this to be a fun challenge." She said. "It won't be fair if you're wounded, it'll just be boring."

Then she grabbed Max's wounded shoulder, making Max scream, and then grabbed her foot.

Emily dropped Max.

"Stand." She spat down.

Max stood up cautiously, and I wanted to tell her to stop, that she'd hurt herself. But she carried on, and it was evident that she was healed.

She stood face to face with Emily for two seconds, and then extended her wings, huge black wings with gold splatters. Emily copied her, and it was odd, like there was a mirror there.

Then Max attacked, driving her knee into Emily's chest. Emily attacked back, driving Max onto the sand.

I lunged forwards to help, only to be savagely yanked back.

I looked around and saw this huge Eraser holding me in an iron grip, and around me other erasers were grabbing the flock and restraining them.

I struggled against mine, I had to help Max, I had to! There was no way I was letting her be replaced!

Max looked at me over Emily's shoulder and we made eye contact for one second. That second seemed to last forever, locked in an everlasting gaze.

But then Emily punched Max, and she was back in the fight.

Max lifted up her hand, a flame rising in her fist.

Emily copied her.

This was bad.

I struggled against the eraser's grip, but I couldn't escape.

I missed a huge chunk of the fight, but I turned around just in time to see Emily fly away from Max and land with a thud.

Then all of a sudden, Max had Emily pinned down in the sand, her hands around Emily's throat, her teeth bared in a snarl, ready to end Emily.

Then, as if from nowhere, Ari landed on the beach behind Max.

He looked at me and grinned, striding up to Max.

"MAX!" I yelled as loud as I could. She looked at me, her hands still in a death grip around Emily's throat.

"ARI! ARI IS BEHI-" I shouted before the eraser holding me put a thick hand over my mouth.

Max understood me though, looking up. She turned around and saw Ari, and leaped off of Emily, spreading her wins and jumping in the air, but Ari jumped up and grabbed her ankle, viciously yanking her down, slamming her into the sand.

Emily gasped, her own hands holding her throat. She looked like a fish out of water, desperately trying to suck in air, but to no end.

Ari grabbed the neck of Max's T-shirt and lifted her up. Max struggled and kicked, but was dwarfed by the fully morphed Ari.

She lit up her palm again, reaching back and grabbing Ari's hand. He yelled and let her go, and she sprinted over to us before he could grab her again.

We made eye contact and she nodded, kicking the eraser which was holding me, to no avail. She leapt forward and put her flaming palm on the Erasers face, and he screamed shrilly, a horrible noise, and the smell of burned flesh came from him, along with a sizzling noise.

Max let go and sprang back as he let go of me, and we both sprinted to free the flock of the erasers holding them.

We barely managed it and tried to get away, but Max was tackled by Emily who threw her to the ground.

"Little bitch." Emily snarled, baring her teeth at Max while trying to pin her down.

Max shook her off and kicked her away, only to have Emily scramble to stand and kick her.

Max skittered away and stood up quickly, blocking a punch from Emily and using the energy to throw a punch, flowing with the momentum to follow up with a lethal kick to the ribs.

Emily backed away, sucking in deep breaths.

"A soul for a soul. You have to go." She said, and lunged at Max.

"Get in the air." I yelled at the flock, who all quickly leapt up, unfurling their wings.

I flew up too, keeping an eye on the Erasers that had been restraining us earlier, checking warily to see if any of them pulled out guns.

Yep. There we go. A couple of the Erasers pulled out guns and I only had a few seconds to warn the flock, shouting: "Watch out for guns!"

We weaved and dodged, and I flew up quickly, into a cloud. Looking down, the Erasers seemed to have forgotten about me, concentrating on trying to hit the flock, who were scattering but staying in the air space above Max's and Emily's fight.

I flew on until I was behind the Erasers, turning around and flying low.

The Erasers didn't turn around, so I assume that they didn't know that I was there.

I swooped right over their heads, grabbing the guns from the two Erasers holding them.

After I grabbed them I quickly pulled up, flying as fast as I could.

They jumped up and tried to grab my legs, narrowly missing.

I found the safety on the guns, clicked it on and stuffed them both into my backpack.

They might come in handy someday.

Below the fight raged on, but I couldn't stop it.

If Max just abandoned Emily without killing her…. God knows what would happen. If Max killed Emily, she would be gone forever. If Emily killed Max, she would become fully… _here, _and replace Max? I had no clue what she might've done.

But it would be bad.

**Listen guys, I'm sorry that this is so short. I've been a bit distracted, and I've been concentrating more on my other story.**

**I'm really sorry to admit that I have kind of considered stopping this story.**

**I'm sorry guys, but there are a few reasons why this fic might be dropped.**

**It might not be, but I'm just… I don't know. Lacking inspiration for this story.**

**I'll explain fully to people who ask me to in the reviews.**

**I really hope you guys have the best year ever, and enjoy 2014 to its fullest.**

**Fly on, and make 2014 a good one.**

**-Raven.**


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